


The Last of Us

by DebM



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:01:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26998606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DebM/pseuds/DebM
Summary: "You can't save humanity, Alex... no one can," Maggie cut her off gently, "We can only save ourselves."-------or Alex and Maggie finding each other in a Post-Apocalyptic world while Alex is trying to save the world, and Maggie just wants to save themselves.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer
Comments: 105
Kudos: 107
Collections: Sanvers Big Bang | 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank You, Shay (Twitter @shayjay28) for being such an amazing Beta! This story is only inspired in the universe of The Last of Us and has no major spoilers in it. I truly hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated. Make sure to read the Aditional Tags for Content Warnings! 
> 
> ALSO, please visit Dani's amazing artwork for this story [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26930713%5D%22) and show some love!

Outbreak Day: Midvale, CA. / Year 2010

Alex kicked the side of the gurney she was sitting on with her old, white Converse. Her thumbs swiping effortlessly through her cellphone's keyboard as she replied to a text message from Vicky while Pearl Jam played loud on her earphones.

"Where the hell are they?" Her younger sister Kara, asked, shifting on top of the gurney next to Alex's.

Alex pulled one earplug and left it hanging over her shoulder, "I don't know."

It had been hours since their parents rushed them out of their home and into the Lab, and injected them with an unknown substance with no explanation.

"Did it hurt?" Kara asked, rubbing her forearm.

Alex turned her head to look at the red spot on her arm, "It burned a bit."

"What do you think it is?" Kara asked, turning to face Alex.

Alex shrugged, "I-"

Muttered arguments cut Alex's words. Both Alex and Kara turned towards a glass wall overlooking another Lab section and saw their parents standing on the other side, talking to two other men in white coats.

"It seems serious," Kara murmured.

Alex nodded while observing her father, Jeremiah, moving his hands in an exasperated manner, their voices muted by the thick glass.

Alex glanced over her sister, noticing the crinkle on her forehead, "Hey, it's probably nothing."

At that moment, one of the men arguing with their parents pointed towards them in an accusatory way. Their mother, Eliza, shook her head firmly and turned to walk away from the room.

The door to their room opened immediately, "Girls, let's go."

Alex and Kara jumped off the gurneys at the same time and followed their mother, meeting their father in the hallway.

"Come on, Kiddos," Jeremiah said with a soft voice, throwing her arm over Alex's shoulders while Eliza hugged Kara to her side.

The car ride home was eerily quiet, and Alex could feel the tension built up in the air.

"What was that thing you injected us with?" Alex asked, leaning her head to see her father's face from the backseat.

Jeremiah turned to look at Eliza, who kept her eyes on the road. Alex noticed the hard grip her father had on the steering wheel.

The car came to an abrupt stop, and only then Alex noticed they had arrived.

"I will order some pizza for you guys," Jeremiah said.

Alex frowned and leaned over the passenger window, "Are you guys going back to the lab?"

Eliza smiled warmly, "Make sure you lock the doors; we will be back as soon as possible."

"Can Vicky come?" Alex asked.

An expression that Alex couldn't decipher passed across her mother's face. It was a mixture of sadness and fear.

Eliza quickly smiled back, "Not today, sweetheart."

Alex nodded and stepped back, "Tomorrow?"

Eliza swallowed hard and nodded, "Sure."

After a quick wave of their hands, Jeremiah drove the car away.

Alex stood still, watching her parents drive away in an uncharacteristically way.

Jeremiah and Eliza worked at the prestigious DEO Laboratory, and she understood the critical work they did daily. Ever since she was a little kid, watching her parents leave in a hurry and leave them with a babysitter quickly became a norm in their lives. Now at 17, Alex was often left in charge of her youngest sister, 15, whenever her parents needed to spend long hours at the Lab.

But today felt different. There was something in her mother's eyes that made Alex's stomach coil.

"I'm bored," Kara said, walking into her room and collapsing on Alex's bed.

"When are you going to learn to knock first?" Alex asked, her eyes focused on the book she was reading.

"My head hurts a little," Kara said, fidgeting with the string on her hoodie.

Alex closed the book, placed it on her nightstand, and shifted next to Kara, "Mine too."

Kara rolled her eyes, "Dude, not even a headache will stop you from reading?"

Alex laughed, "It's a science book abo-"

"It’s summer, shut up nerd," Kara said, sitting up and hitting Alex softly with a pillow.

Alex covered her face with her arms and smiled.

"So..." Kara started, poking Alex's arm.

"So?" Alex sighed, knowing exactly where her sister was going.

"You and Vicky..." Kara said, raising one eyebrow.

Alex shrugged, "We are just friends."

"Friends don't kiss in the lips when they think no one is looking," Kara nudged Alex playfully.

Alex sighed heavily, "It's...whatever...."

"Hey," Kara said softly, "Whatever it is, she is one lucky girl."

Alex blushed, but before she could respond, a piercing scream in the distance startled them.

"Was that an animal or a person?" Kara asked.

Alex stood up and looked outside through her window. The night seemed quiet. Too quiet.

"I don't know," Alex said, turning to look at Kara.

Another scream in the distance made her turn abruptly. She carefully opened the window and stuck her head out to listen. The only noises she could hear came from their next-door neighbors who seemed to be leaving in a hurry.

"The Menendez are leaving," Alex said.

Kara stood up and stuck her head out to look. The family was loading their minivan with boxes and suitcases.

"Maybe for a vacation?" Kara asked.

Alex glanced around and shook her head. The same feeling of dread coiling her stomach, "I don't think so, Kara."

She quickly grabbed her phone and opened her chat with Vicky. The last message she sent two hours ago was still left unread.

"What is it?" Kara asked, concerned.

Alex ignored her sister and turned her TV on. A woman with a microphone spoke rapidly to the camera—a commotion behind her.

"There seem to be reports of erratic behavior around town. We are still waiting for the mayo-"

Alex changed the channel. A man was interviewing a crying woman.

"There was blood all over him, and I didn't know what to do!"

"Alex?" Kara spoke, her small voice shaking.

"Kara, try to call mom," Alex spoke, not taking her eyes away from the TV where a man now was shown screaming and growling furiously to the camera.

Kara turned and grabbed Alex's cellphone.

"He fucking bit me!" The police officer trying to restrain the screaming man yelled while holding a hand to his neck—blood pouring between his fingers.

"They are not answering," Kara said, "What are-"

The image on their TV froze them in place. The man that bit the police officer was now viciously attacking the reporter.

"Alex..." Kara whispered, reaching to grab Alex's hand.

Headlights coming from their driveway caught their attention.

"Dad!" Alex said, running downstairs, followed by Kara.

Their front door opened abruptly, and Jeremiah and Eliza hurried inside.

There was blood on Jeremiah's shirt and a gun in his hand.

"Dad?" Alex asked, still holding Kara's hand tightly.

"I need you, girls, to go upstairs and grab your emergency backpacks now," Eliza said.

"Why is Dad bleeding?" Kara asked with tearful eyes.

"I am fine, kiddo, now do what your mom said!" Jeremiah said, keeping his gun pointed at their front door.

Alex pulled Kara by the hand, and they both ran upstairs, "Come on."

Dropping on her knees, Alex pulled a backpack from under her bed. She then put on jeans and a hoodie over her t-shirt, followed by her old trusty Converse.

Grabbing her phone, she stared at the "unread" mark under her message to Vicky.

[Hey. Something is happening. People are going crazy. We are leaving the house. Call me when you can] - Alex hastily typed.

An error message quickly popped on the screen, and Alex's heart sank.

"Sweetheart, we have to go," Eliza said from the door, carrying two backpacks.

Alex blinked multiple times, "Yeah, sure."

Kara was quick to grab Alex's hand again as soon as they met in the hallway to go downstairs.

Jeremiah stood in their front door, both hands firmly around the gun, "Jason, step back!"

Eliza grabbed both Alex and Kara and pulled them back.

"Dad?" Alex asked from behind her mother.

Jeremiah seemed to be arguing with someone Alex couldn't see.

"Jason, my girls are inside, don't make me do this," Jeremiah said shakily.

A growled came from outside, followed quickly by a gunshot. Kara screamed, and Eliza turned her back to Jeremiah to hug her.

Alex stood numbed, staring at her father.

Jeremiah looked at her and walked closer, gently caressing her cheek, "We got to go, kiddo," he said.

But all Alex could hear was the rumbling of the gunshot in her ears and Kara's terrifying scream echoing in her head.

As her father gently guided her towards the car, a body covered in blood and what looked like burned skin laid motionless on their driveway.

Once inside their car, Kara's hand quickly found Alex's.

"Are you girls feeling ok?" Eliza asked, turning on her seat to look at them.

Alex glanced quickly at Kara, who was shaking uncontrollably.

"What is going on?" She asked her mom.

Eliza shook her head, "I need to know if you are feeling ok."

Alex frowned and nodded, "We had a headache earlier tonight, but it's gone."

Eliza looked at Jeremiah, who simply nodded while driving past over the speeding limit.

"Now, can someone explain what the hell is going on?" Alex asked angrily.

"We need you to calm down, sweetheart," Eliza said, trying to reach for Alex's hand but was quickly pushed away.

"Calm down?! Dad just killed someone!" Alex yelled.

"I was trying to keep you girls safe," Jeremiah said.

"From who?!" Alex asked.

"Not who..." Jeremiah said.

"Jeremiah, don't," Eliza warned him.

"They need to know," Jeremiah said.

"Know what?" Alex asked, shifting forward to look at her father.

"There's been an outbreak; a virus has been spreading unnoticed since early hours of the day," Jeremiah said cautiously.

"A virus?" Alex asked.

"A fungal based, brain-altering virus," Eliza said, turning her eyes towards her youngest daughter, who kept her eyes shut with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"We've known about this for months now and its potentially dangerous mutations," Jeremiah continued, "But no one predicted it would be this fast or this lethal."

Alex slumped back down, feeling more confused than ever. Her hand absently going to the spot where she got her shot earlier that day.

"That injection you gave us...."

Jeremiah nodded, "We think we were able to find a way to weaken the virus and create an immunity to it and its mutations."

"We have no idea if it even works," Eliza said softly, almost in a whisper.

"Did you get it too?" Alex asked.

Eliza looked at Jeremiah.

"Mom?" Alex asked again.

"By the time we got the internal news about the virus spreading, there was no time to develop more samples," Jeremiah said.

"How many, then?" Alex asked.

"Two," Eliza said.

"Alex, these samples were not reported to the government or any health organizations," Jeremiah said urgently.

"What does that mean?" Alex said, suddenly feeling the need to vomit.

"It means that no matter what, you cannot tell anyone that you and your sister got this vaccine," Eliza said with a sharp voice that made Alex shiver.

Alex ran her free fingers through her hair, needing to breathe fresh air.

The firm grip, on her other hand, made her look up at her sister.

"Hey," Alex quickly said, "It's ok," she reassured her sister.

Kara was hyperventilating, and her face and hands were sweaty. Alex knew she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"I got you," Alex whispered, squeezing her hand.

Kara nodded and leaned closer.

"Damn it," Jeremiah cursed between her teeth.

"What is it?" Alex asked.

In front of them, a couple of feet away, a woman stood covered in blood.

"Are we going to help her?" Alex asked.

Jeremiah floored the gas pedal and grabbed the steering wheel firmly with both hands.

"Dad?" Alex asked, instinctively covering Kara's face with her hand.

"Everyone, hold on!" He said

Before the car ran over the woman and threw her in the air, Alex could see that her eyes were turned entirely white.

A couple of miles later, the sound of an exploding tire forced the car to a stop.

"Fuck!" Jeremiah banged the steering wheel with his fist.

"We can't stay here; we need to move," Eliza said, automatically reaching for the door handle to open it.

"I know," Jeremiah said, opening his door.

Alex and Kara were both each helped out by one of the parents.

"What now?" Alex asked, shifting the strap of her backpack on her shoulder.

"We can't stay on the road," Jeremiah said, "We need to cross through the woods. It will take us to the main highway, and then we find a way out of the state."

"Out of the state?" Alex asked, following her father off the road.

"To Seattle," Jeremiah said, brushing off through the tree branches, "We need to get to the DEO headquarters."

Alex looked at her mother, who was following them with Kara tucked to her side.

"No more questions, and follow your father," Eliza ordered her oldest child.

They walked in silence through the woods, following Jeremiah with his flashlight as their only light source.

"Hey! I'm going to need you to stay where you are!" A man shouted through the woods.

"Shh," Jeremiah stopped abruptly, holding one hand up.

Two voices could be heard in the distance, with two flashes of light through the trees.

"Alex," Jeremiah whispered, "Go with your Mom and Kara and hide behind that pile of rocks."

Alex hesitated for a second, "But-"

Jeremiah grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to face him, "I need you to do as I say. No questions asked," Jeremiah whispered firmly.

Alex nodded.

"And I need you to stay hidden until they are gone, no matter what," Jeremiah whispered again.

Alex frowned but nodded again.

Eliza quietly ran with her two daughters and hid a couple of feet away from where Jeremiah was currently standing.

"Are you armed?" One man said, still too far away from Jeremiah for him to ID.

"No," Jeremiah said, trying to keep his voice calm, "My name is Jeremiah Danvers and I'm trying to cross the woods to get downtown."

The two men came close enough for Jeremiah to see they were dressed all in black, military type. And they both held tactical rifles across their chest.

"What are you guys doing in the woods?" Jeremiah asked.

"Looking for survivors," One of them said.

"Are you military?" Jeremiah asked.

They ignored the question while one of them spoke into his earpiece, "I've got one in the woods."

"Where is the other?" The other man asked.

"I don't know what you mean; I'm alone," Jeremiah said, holding his arms open.

The man pointed with his flashlight towards a second backpack lying on the ground.

Jeremiah swallowed hard, "I'm just trying to pass by and find help. I'm not infected."

"Tell your companion to come out," The man said, pointing the rifle at him.

"I told you, I'm alone," Jeremiah said pleadingly.

"He doesn't seem infected, no," The other man continued talking into his earpiece.

"I'm going to count to three," The man said to Jeremiah, "One!"

Eliza turned towards Alex, "I need you to hold on to Kara and not make a noise, do you understand me?"

Alex nodded shakily, her chest heaving hard.

"Two!" The man said, preparing the rifle.

Eliza carefully rounded them in the dark, not wanting to come out from the right and lead them to the girls, "I'm here," she said, coming from their left with her arms held up.

Jeremiah cursed through his teeth.

"Stand next to him, and keep your hands up," The man said.

"I'm waiting for an order," The other man said, joining them.

Jeremiah looked over to Eliza, communicating through with unspoken words, _‘They are safe. We taught them right’._

A single tear streamed down Eliza's cheek.

"What's your name?" The man holding the rifle asked Eliza.

"Eliza Danvers, his wife," She replied, holding her chin up, showing no signs of fear.

"Can we please know why we are being held at gunpoint?" Jeremiah asked, "Are you military?" he tried again.

"He already told you we are not infected," Eliza added, trying to reason with the man currently pointing a gun at them.

The man with the earpiece pressed his fingers to his ear and listened to whatever he was being spoken to through the tiny piece.

After a couple of seconds, the man said, "Understood," and nodded to his partner.

The man nodded back and each held their rifles higher towards Jeremiah and Eliza. The click of the unlock piercing through the night.

Alex grabbed Kara forcefully against her, her open hand covering Kara's mouth, twisting her body to pin her to the grown.

Eliza lowered her arms and reached for Jeremiah's hand, and held it tight. Their unspoken words dancing around them like an afterlife ceremony, _‘They are safe. We taught them right. They are safe’._

Alex held Kara tight against her, holding her from squirming loudly, "I got you," she whispered into Kara's ear.

The gunshots were heard one by one, over and over in a never-ending round, echoing through the darkness.

Kara screamed at the top of her lungs, but no sound came through Alex's hand over her mouth.

Alex doesn't remember when the gunshots stopped or when the footsteps faded. Or when her squirming sister went limp after passing out. She doesn't remember how she crawled towards her parents' bodies or how she laid next to them and gazed at the open sky.

The one thing she will never forget is how bright the stars were that night and how they twinkled...as in collecting souls from all the fallen.

Or as in one final warning for those, like her, left behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Present Day / Year 2020

An arrow was shot straight into the skull of an infected, pinning its decomposed body against the trunk of a tree.

"That's 10," Alex said, coming out from her hiding spot with a victory smile on her face, "You are slacking today, sis.”

Her once shoulder-length hair was now short, and her naturally pale skin now seemed golden by the sun. She wore dirty skinny jeans with dusty hiking boots. A stained white T-shirt under a green flannel.

"Can't keep up?" Alex asked, stepping closer to the infected and pulling the arrow, allowing the body to fall motionless to the ground.

Infected were one of the various stages of the infection in a host. They react to movement and noise and would attack everything that crosses their path. Throughout the years, Alex had learned to differentiate them and their different threats and how to kill them efficiently.

Kara, dressed in similar jeans and hiking boots but wearing a long sleeve sky-blue shirt, covered her eyes with one hand to look up at the bright sun, "I'm tired," she murmured.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" Alex asked, wiping the blood from the arrow's tip before hooking it back in her backpack.

Kara shook her head and sigh, turning around to face Alex, "I'm tired...of this," she said, gesturing around them with her arms.

Alex shrugged the backpack off her shoulders and crouched on the floor to take her notebook and scribble some notes.

"When are we going to stop running?" Kara pushed, clearly wanting a reaction.

Alex remained quiet, turning the pages of her notebook absently, back and forth.

"What was wrong with that town in Utah or the town before that, or the ones in wherever the hell we've been to for the past ten years," Kara said, walking in circles and raising her voice.

Alex remained silent, staring blankly at a page of her old notebook. A sketch of a flower staring back at her.

"Ten years, Alex...of running around and for what?" Kara asked with irritation.

For the past ten years, the public reaction to the infected has been catastrophic. As the vicious virus has taken hold of the majority of the population, the worldwide pandemic had caused the total breakdown and destruction of society through widespread violence. Everything they once knew was now gone, and Alex desperately held on to the only piece of hope she had.

"You know exactly for what," Alex said, standing up, "We can't stay around for too long, Kara; it's not safe!"

"Safe from what? Look around you!" Kara said, gesturing around, "Nature and a virus has taken over the world; no one is safe."

"We get bitten, and we don't die, Kara, we can't allow people to know that!" Alex yelled back, putting her notebook away furiously.

"Alex, no one can hurt us anymore," Kara said more softly now, understanding her sister's frustration, "What dad told us-"

"This is not about Dad," Alex cut her off, "This is about finding the DEO and trying to give use to whatever is in us," She pointed at her chest, "and save lives."

Kara grunted, "We've come across multiple of their camps that have been abandoned for God knows how long."

"And that is why we need to go to Seattle, to their headquarters," Alex said, tossing her backpack over her shoulders.

Kara opened her mouth but closed it, shaking her head, "And what if there is nothing there?"

Alex swallowed and wiped her forehead and neck with her sleeve, "They are there...I know it."

“Alex,” Kara sighed, “We don’t even know where we are most of the time.”

“We got to keep hoping and keep moving….we have to,” Alex said, deflating her anger.

Kara sighed in resignation and nodded, "Very well...lead the way, captain."

Sunset came rushing, and Alex and Kara found shelter in an abandoned building for the night. For the most part, the building that once seemed to be an apartment complex had no windows or doors, and its walls were covered in graffiti with threatening messages. The stairs leading to the upper floors had debris, and some levels were left inaccessible. The furniture still standing in the apartments were covered in grime and mold.

"I think it's safe to camp here tonight," Alex said, "Help me move this."

Kara stood next to Alex and helped her push a couch against the door.

"Seems....cozy, " Kara said with an expression of disgust.

Alex chuckled, "We don't have to use the beds; let's just stay in the living room and sleep on the floor."

Kara nodded and dropped the backpack with a moan of relief. She stretched her arms up and moved her neck from side to side.

Alex walked and looked through the space in the walls where the windows should've been, "The night seems quiet."

The area surrounding the building looked equally empty—the occasional growl in the night, indicating that danger was always around the corner.

Kara sat on the floor and opened her backpack to drink from her water container, "I wish I could take a shower...I miss a good shower."

Alex spotted what looked like a deserted bookstore in the distance and smiled, "I miss a good book."

Kara snorted, "Of course you do, nerd."

Alex shrugged and turned to look at her sister, "I miss a lot of things."

A grumble coming from somewhere in the upper floors pierced through the cold air like a sharp knife.

"I don't think I will ever get used to that," Kara said, hugging her knees to her chest.

Alex walked away from the window and sat across the floor from Kara, "Once we find the DEO and help them produce a vaccine, we will find us a nice little town, and we'll settle in."

Kara sighed, fidgeting with a small tear on her jeans, "Easier said than done."

Alex swallowed and nodded, "Why don't you sleep? I will keep watch."

Kara hesitated for a second, but a yawn betrayed her, "Ok, but I think you can catch some sleep too. I’m sure we are safe here,” Kara said, getting comfortable on the floor, “At least for the night.”

“Yeah,” Alex replied, glancing around the dark living room.

She kicked her hiking boots off and winced at her beaten feet.

"A pedicure would be nice," Alex murmured to herself as she massaged the arc of her feet.

The soft snoring coming from her sister made her smile warmly, and a sense of guilt came over her—guilt for this pursuit of hers and for dragging her sister along.

It would've been easy to stay in the first town they encountered many years ago and build a life. It would've been so easy to ignore their responsibility and merely exist.

Was it even their responsibility? Neither of them asked for immunity or the burden it will give them.

Kara has always been vocal about being tired, but the truth was that Alex was exhausted as well. She was exhausted of this heaviness on her shoulders...and in her heart. Exhausted from the emptiness and loneliness that came with the life her parents had chosen for her.

As her eyelids grew heavy and sleep threatened to take over her, she could only hope that everything they'd done and everything they'd been through, will be all worth it in the end.

Murmured voices startled Alex awake, and she immediately stood up and reached for her gun. Sounds of footsteps getting near forced her into action, and she quietly shook Kara.

"Wake up," Alex whispered.

Kara blinked softly, "Wha-"

"We got to move," Alex said, pointing to the door.

Kara nodded and stood up, gathering her things.

Alex slowly put on her hiking boots and threw her backpack over her shoulders. She then walked over to the window and popped her head out to see if there was a safe alternative way to exit the apartment. 

"There is a fire escape stair, but it doesn't look safe," Alex said.

Before Kara could answer, a male voice coming from the hallway froze them in place, "Max said to scout the entire building. Let's just do it and get the hell out of here."

Kara widened her eyes, "I guess it will have to do."

Alex agreed and extended her hand to help Kara out the window, "We are not too high; it should be fine."

Both Kara and Alex carefully walked over to the edge.

"You jump first and try to stay low," Alex said.

Kara carefully jumped to the landing of the stair, making it creak.

"I think it is steady enough, but you got to hurry," Kara said, holding tight to the rusty railing.

The sound of a door being kicked startled Alex, and she quickly threw one leg over the window and then the other, leaving her suspended for a second before she dropped into the landing where Kara was.

Alex knew the sofa blocking the apartment door would buy them some time, but they needed to move. Whoever those men were, they weren't there to make friends.

"Come on," Alex said, carefully starting to go down the rusty stairs' unsteady steps.

Alex stopped abruptly, making Kara bump into her. In front of them stood an infected, still not aware of their presence.

"Shit," Kara whispered.

The infected stood growling and twitching in place—his back to Alex and Kara.

Alex reached for her knife and signaled Kara to stay quiet.

Taking careful steps, Alex walked closer to the infected, and with a swift move, she forcefully stabbed his neck multiple times. He made gurgle noises in her arms as he went limb, and Alex carefully laid him on the floor.

Before Alex could turn to indicate Kara to continue, another infected came jumping from the open window next to them, pushing Alex off the railing and into the street below.

"Alex!" Kara yelled, horrified.

Alex groaned in pain as she struggled to push the growling infected away from her with one hand while stabbing him repeatedly with the other.

"Alex!" Kara called again.

Alex pushed the limp body off of her and gasped for air. A sharp pain cut through her right side, "I'm fine," Alex moaned.

They weren't far up the ground, but the fall combined with the weight of the infected on top of her was hard enough to do some damage.

Kara jumped the remaining steps and landed next to Alex, "Are you ok?"

Alex, still fighting to catch some air, nodded, "Yeah," she hissed, "Just got the wind knocked out of me."

Running Footsteps came from around the building, and Kara quickly tried to help Alex up.

"Come on; we've got to keep moving," Kara said, struggling to keep Alex on her feet.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up," Alex said, her hand pressed to her side in pain.

A gunshot flew over their heads, and Alex and Kara dropped to the floor.

"Fuck," Alex grunted, "Crawl behind that car!"

Kara did as she was told and crawled behind an abandoned car parked on the road's side.

More gunshots ricochet around them.

"How in pain are you?" Kara asked shakily, "Can you run?"

Alex swallowed and nodded, "'Just keep going."

Kara nodded tightly and fixed her gun in her hand before she continued to crawl towards another nearby car.

When leaning against the car, Alex lifted her T-shirt, and a large purple bruise was covering her right side, "Damn it," she cursed through her teeth.

"Alex-"

"How many?" Alex grunted in pain.

Kara peeked over the car and saw three men cautiously searching around with big guns, "Three."

At that moment, more gunshots bounced around the car they were using as cover.

"There is no escaping," One of the men snarled, "Come out!"

Kara signaled Alex to crawl towards another car, farther from the men. Alex closed her eyes shut and nodded. The pain was starting to make her feel nauseous and dizzy. She knew the men were getting near, and they were running out of places to take cover.

A loud distanced gunshot fractured through one of the men's skull, killing him instantly.

"What the fuck?" The other two men said, glancing around in fear.

Another clean shot landed on one of the two remaining man's heads.

"Someone is shooting at them," Kara whispered.

The third man ran to take cover but was shot on the back of the head.

Kara carefully peeked over the car and saw the three men lying dead on the ground. Blood dripping from their heads.

"What do we do now?" Kara asked in a whisper.

Alex opened her mouth to talk when a female voice cut her off.

"You can come out now; it’s safe."

Kara looked at Alex, who remained still.

"We are not going to hurt you," The same soft voice spoke.

Alex reached to grab Kara's hand and nodded. Kara squeezed Alex's hand and slowly stood up, helping Alex do the same.

"We don't want any problems," Kara said, her arm protectively around Alex's waist.

In front of them, a group of five people stood mounted in horses. One of them had a sniper hanging off his shoulder.

"We were just sleeping when those men arrived; we don't know who they were," Kara continued, sensing the group's distrust.

Alex, leaning into Kara's support, glanced over the group.

Three women and two men. All heavily armed.

"Are you armed?" A short-haired woman said from the back of the group.

Kara nodded, "For protection only."

A tall black man pushed his horse closer to Alex and Kara, "I'm going to need to have them, please," He said, extending his hand.

Kara stiffened, "But we need them, it's-"

"We are taking you to our town," A woman with long brown hair and cinnamon skin said, "We just want to take precautions."

Kara and Alex remained motionless in place.

The woman shifted on her saddle and brushed the horse's head, "Looks like your friend needs medical help. We can give it to her."

Kara looked at Alex, who was still struggling to breathe correctly. Slowly, Kara shrugged her backpack off and helped Alex do the same. Their rifles and other weapons were strapped to them.

"Thank You," The black man said, taking both backpacks and strapping them into his saddlebag.

"You can get on any horse," The woman said, "I'll take your friend."

"Why?" Kara asked defensively.

The woman smiled softly, "Because I'm smaller, and she’ll be more comfortable riding with me."

"Kara," Alex breathed, "it's ok."

Kara nodded and helped walk Alex closer to the horse. The other man, the one with the sniper, dismounted his horse and offered his hand to help Alex get on behind the woman.

Alex nodded, and Kara stepped back, watching how Alex cried in pain as she settled on the horse.

"Are you ok?" The woman asked.

Alex nodded weakly, placing her hand tentatively on the woman's shoulder, "Yes."

"Come on; you can ride with me," The man said, pointing at his horse.

Kara glanced at Alex one more time before following the man.

Growling and Roaring came from the near distance.

"We've got to move," The third woman, also with long brown hair but fair skin, said.

"Let's keep it steady," The woman carrying Alex said.

The five horses turned around and started trotting off the road and into the woods.

Alex closed her eyes when a new wave of nausea hit her. She held her hurting side with her free hand and held on to the small woman with the other.

She noticed the woman was wearing a worn-out black leather jacket.

"I never got your name," Alex asked, with her eyes closed.

The woman glanced back briefly and smiled, "Maggie Sawyer."


	3. Chapter 3

Maggie leaned against the room's door frame where the newcomers were being treated. The blonde woman, who she remembered being called Kara by the other, was nervously nibbling on some crackers while she kept her eyes fixed on Alex who was lying on a cot. Their nurse, Olivia, placed a wet cloth over the woman's forehead.

"Is she going to be ok?" Kara asked, abandoning the crackers as soon as Olivia stood up.

"Her ribs seem very sore, even though we have no way to know if there are any fractures," Olivia responded kindly, "She might also have a mild concussion from the fall."

Kara blinked rapidly, her eyes darting from Alex and Olivia, "But is she ok?"

Olivia smiled and patted the woman's shoulder, "She will be; she just needs to rest."

Kara swallowed and nodded, reclaiming her spot next to the sleeping woman.

Olivia gave her one final nod before turning around to exit the room.

"Thanks, Olivia," Maggie whispered.

Olivia smiled at Maggie, "How's your headache?"

"It's gone now, thank you," Maggie beamed at her.

"You need to stop skipping dinner," Olivia said, pointing a finger at Maggie.

"Yes, Ma'am," Maggie muttered.

"You got the pills?" Olivia asked, gathering her things in a bag.

Maggie nodded and patted her pocket, "Got them, thanks."

When Olivia left, Maggie stepped into the room, standing on the other side of the cot, her arms crossed over her chest.

The woman lying on the cot seemed pale, but even that couldn't obscure the beauty of her face. Long lashes rested on soft cheekbones, splashed with freckles. There was a scar on one eyebrow and one on the brick of her nose. Her lips, slightly pink, were lightly opened.

"Thank you." The small voice of the blonde pulled Maggie from her train of thoughts.

"Mhm?" Maggie hummed, shifting her eyes towards Kara speaking to her.

"Thank you for saving us," Kara repeated, a little louder and clearer.

Maggie nodded, "Of course."

She noticed the frowned eyebrows and the worried expression in the blonde's face.

"Your friend will be ok," Maggie reassured her, "We got water and food here."

"Sister," Kara said, her eyes still fixed on the other woman.

"Excuse me?" Maggie asked, confused.

"You keep saying she is my friend," The woman smiled and turned to look at Maggie, "She is more than my best friend...she’s my older sister."

Maggie nodded, understanding now the overprotection the woman displayed earlier towards the brunette.

"I'm Kara Danvers," Kara, said, "And she is Alex Danvers."

"I'm Maggie Sawyer," Maggie extended her hand.

Kara glanced at the hand for a second and then shook it gently.

"Here," Maggie took a small bag of pills from her pocket, "These are painkillers…your sister might need them when she wakes up."

Kara accepted the offered pills and eyed Maggie, "Thank you so much."

Maggie bowed her head slightly and smiled, "I need to head out; our nurse Olivia will come back to check on her. In the meantime, try to get some rest," she pointed at the empty cot next to Alex.

Kara nodded absently, her hand clutching Alex's hand tight.

Maggie marched out of the infirmary, her reflexes kicking in as she quickly dodged a ball a kid threw her way.

"You know you guys aren't allowed to play near the infirmary," Maggie said, stopping with her hands on her hips.

The two small kids glanced at each other guiltily—one of them stepping forward.

"I'm sorry, Maggie," He said shyly.

His clothes were worn out, and the soccer ball looked as if it'd been played with for centuries.

Maggie ruffled his hair, "It's ok, grab the ball and go play in the playground."

Both boys nodded simultaneously, and after picking up the ball, they ran towards the designated area for kids to play safely.

"Hey, Mags!" A woman waved at her.

Maggie waved back, "Heading out?"

The woman nodded, pulling at the strap of her rifle, "Going to sign out and get my horse."

"Have a nice shift," Maggie saluted her and watched her go towards the stable.

She breathed in and glanced around. The town was bursting with life at this time of the day. Residents walked from one place to the other, chatting among each other. Dogs and cats roamed around playfully. There was no school today, so kids played in the playground, laughing and screaming happily. The heavily fortified walls surrounding the entire town didn't lessen the normalcy felt in this place. It was Home.

After all these years, Maggie still felt so proud of what they had done with Jackson Ville. They've built a safe place for families to continue living and growing.

"Are you having a moment?" Winn asked with a smirk.

Maggie turned to face Winn, who was standing with a half-eaten burrito in his hand.

Of course, her best friend knew her better than anyone, sometimes even better than her aunt. The minute they met, ten years ago, here in Jackson, they became inseparable. Both coming from similar family backgrounds, they found a bond in each other that has only strengthened with time. Best friends and eventually partners on the field, they could get in each other's head without a problem.

"I guess," Maggie shrugged, "Is that what's in the menu today?"

Winn glanced at his burrito and nodded, "Bertha's special."

Maggie laughed, walking closer to him.

"How are the damsels in distress?" Winn asked with a mouthful.

"Kara and Alex," Maggie corrected him, "Alex is resting, and Kara is watching over her."

"An odd pair to be found wandering around alone, don't you think?" Winn asked.

Maggie glanced towards the infirmary's closed doors, "They are sisters; that's all I got."

"Are you going to talk to J'onn?" Winn asked, taking another bite of the burrito.

Maggie nodded, "I was heading towards his office."

A drunk old man pushed the Bar's door open and stumbled into the ground.

Winn and Maggie both rolled their eyes.

"He is all yours, see you around," Maggie said, tapping Winn's shoulders.

Winn sighed and finished the remaining of his burrito, "Alright, Maury, let's get you home."

Maggie knocked softly at the wooden door dividing J'onn's office from their makeshift command center.

"Come in," A grace voice came from the other side.

Maggie opened the door and stepped inside with a smile, "Hey."

J'onn, who was reading a map, glanced up at Maggie and returned the smile, "Maggie."

Maggie dragged a chair closer to J'onn's small desk.

"I heard you came back with more than supplies," He said, leaning back in what was once a leather chair.

Maggie nodded, "We encountered two women who were being cornered by some militia looking men."

"Luthor?" J'onn asked, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"I think so, they had heavy guns and wore military uniforms," Maggie replied.

J'onn nodded, "Are they hurt?"

"One of them was tossed around by the looks of her bruises, but she will be ok," Maggie said.

"Did you manage to learn who they were?” J’onn asked.

Maggie shrugged, "Not really. They are still pretty shaken up...so I gave them space.”

J’onn rubbed his chin with his hand, frowning deep in thoughts.

"I was thinking,” Maggie said hesitatingly, “They both seem strong and experienced; they could help with patrolling," Maggie said, touching a small cut she recently got on a finger.

J’onn eyes her as in playing with the idea in his head. After a second he nodded.

"Very well," he replied, leaning back again, "Offer them The Anderson’s house."

Maggie bit her lower lip, remembering why the house was vacant. Johanna Anderson and her husband Matthew were two of their recent losses after being trapped in an infected area, never being able to return from their patrol. Their bodies were never recovered, but they still added their tombstones in their graveyard.

"We gave them the honorary burial they deserved, but we got to keep moving," J'onn said softly, knowing exactly the expression in Maggie’s eyes.

Maggie sighed and nodded, "I know...it just never gets easy."

"It never will," J'onn said, "But that's what keeps us human."

Maggie smiled at his kind eyes and nodded, "Alright, I'll deliver the news."

"Tell them the council would like to meet them officially," J'onn said, returning his attention to the map he was studying.

Maggie nodded one last time before exiting the room.

Maggie decided to take a detour and go to her house to shower and change clothes before stopping by the infirmary again. After today's patrolling, she was exhausted.

Entering her small bungalow, she shrugged off her leather jacket and hung it on the wall. She lived alone, and her home consisted of one bedroom, one bathroom, and a small living room. The furniture was pretty worn out, but the space was kept clean and neat. The painting on the houses' interior and exterior faded almost completely, giving all the homes around town a similar old, rustic style.

Maggie kicked off her boots and pulled her socks off and groaned appreciatively at the feeling of the cold wooden floor under her feet.

"Bertha told me she hasn’t seen your face today," A voice startled her.

She cursed through her teeth, "You scared me."

The woman sitting on Maggie's sofa looked up from the sock she was sewing.

"What?" Maggie asked at the older woman's stare.

"You didn't respond to my question," She said.

"You didn't ask a question, you stated a fact," Maggie said, walking over to the kitchen to drink water from a container.

"Maggie..."

"Aunt Maria, I'm exhausted. I just want to get showered and changed and maybe get some sleep later," Maggie said, sipping from the container one last time before putting it back.

The older woman sighed and uncovered a plastic plate that held two burritos, "They are not hot, but they are still a bit warm. Please, eat them."

Maggie noticed the worry in her aunt's eyes, "I will, I promise."

Maria stood up and kissed Maggie's cheek, "And get some rest, Mija."

Maggie watched her go. The start of a mild headache was beginning to make itself present, and Maggie eyed the burritos reluctantly.

She sighed and sat down, taking the plate in her hand and grabbing one burrito with the other. She took a bite and chewed on it. It was just a mixture of meat and vegetables they've grown.

Maggie leaned back and closed her eyes, still chewing. She tried to remember the last time she ate a good homemade flavorful burrito before everything happened, but she couldn't.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alex opened her eyes lazily, a wave of nausea hitting her as she tried to turn her head. She blinked several times, trying to focus her eyes on her surroundings. The room was dimmed, partially illuminated by a lamp.

She could hear murmured voices, and she tried to sit up, but a piercing pain on her side stopped her.

Focusing on the voices, Alex noticed Kara standing in the doorway, talking to someone she couldn't see.

"Kara?" Alex asked hoarsely.

Kara turned quickly, "Alex?" she ran to her side.

Alex noticed then that the other person was Maggie.

"She lives," Maggie said with the most radiant smile Alex has ever seen.

She glanced between Maggie and Kara, "How long have I been out?"

"Hours," Kara said, feeling Alex's forehead with her hand.

"I don't feel feverish," Alex said.

"You were having a bit of a fever earlier," Kara explained, "But the nurse here took good care of you."

Alex frowned and swallowed; the burning sensation reminding Alex of her sore throat.

"Can I get some water?" Alex asked.

"I'll get it," Maggie said, stepping out of the room.

Alex raised an eyebrow to Kara, who still had a worrying expression on her face.

"Are you feeling ok?" Kara asked softly.

"I have a headache, and my side hurts like a bitch." Alex groaned, touching her torso with her hand.

"Olivia thinks you might have some pretty bruised ribs, if not broken," Kara said, "And maybe a mild concussion from the fall."

Alex looked at Kara as if she had grown a second head, "Who the hell is Olivia?"

Kara chuckled, "The nurse."

"I-"

"Here you go," Maggie said, walking into the room, interrupting whatever Alex was about to say.

"Let me help you sit up," Kara said, reaching to gather Alex in her arms.

Alex sucked in a breath at the pain in her side.

"You ok?" Her sister asked with her arm firmly on her back.

Alex nodded and reached for the cup in Maggie's hand.

"Small sips," Maggie advised.

But Alex took greedy gulps of water, sensing her throat feel better as she swallowed the water.

"Thank you," Alex said, handing the cup back.

"Do you want to lay back down?" Kara asked.

Alex shook her head, "I'm fine like this."

Maggie leaned forward, reaching to brush the hair in the back of Alex's head. Alex froze at the touch, feeling a tingling sensation on the back of her neck.

"It's a bit tender," She said, unaware of Alex's reaction to her touch, "Your sister said you had a big fall?"

Alex glanced at her sister, who shook her head silently, and she relaxed.

"Oh, yeah...We tried to escape through the fire stairs and I stumbled over and landed on my back." Alex said, avoiding the part where she fought an infected.

"Must've been an awful fall," Maggie said, taking a step back.

Alex reached back and ran her fingers through her hair and nodded, "It wasn't that bad, but enough to shake me up."

"It was so scary," Kara said, her hand on Alex's shoulder, "We are so lucky you guys found us."

Alex nodded and glanced at Maggie, "Thank you for saving us."

Maggie waved her off with a smile, "Your sister already expressed her gratitude enough. I'm just glad you are ok."

Alex blushed slightly and sighed, "Well, we wouldn't want to be a burden for much longer so-"

"About that," Kara said, turning to Maggie with an apologetically smile, "could I speak alone with my sister?"

"Oh, of course," Maggie said, taking another step backward, "Just wanted to deliver the news and wish you both a good night."

Alex watched Maggie wave goodbye before she stepped outside and closed the door.

"Hey," Kara said, sitting on the chair next to Alex.

Alex tore her eyes from the closed door, "What's wrong?"

Kara hesitated for a brief moment before taking a deep breath and exhaling, "They offered for us to stay as long as we wanted."

Alex raised both eyebrows, "Oh?"

Kara nodded, fidgeting with her hands, "They even have a place for both of us to stay…like a real place, not a tent.”

Alex glanced around the room and shook her head, "As in... Living here?"

Kara sighed and stood up, "I don't know, Alex, maybe?”

"Kara, we talked about this," Alex said, wincing as she tried to move.

"Yes, but Alex..." Kara said, "You are hurt, and they are offering this amazing place to us."

"I will feel better in a day or two," Alex snarled.

"You haven't seen this place, it's amazing, Alex and-"

"We are not staying, Kara," Alex snapped, "We wasted enough time in the last town we stayed over."

Kara covered her face with her hands in frustration.

"We need to keep moving," Alex continued.

"Have we ever encountered men like those who almost killed us?" Kara asked, stepping back into Alex's space.

"No, but, we know there are many small groups of-"

"They didn't look like a small group, Alex, they looked organized," Kara cut her off, "Whoever they were, they are out to kill whoever crosses their path."

Alex remained silent.

"What happened today it's a warning, Alex. We can't do this alone," Kara said, lowering her tone and sitting next to Alex, "There is a greater evil out there, and we have no immunity for that one."

Alex glanced at the closed door again.

"All I'm saying is that we stick around, we gain their trust...and maybe they could help us," Kara continued, "Maybe we can help each other."

Alex breathed heavily and glanced back at her sister and after what felt like an eternity she finally spoke, "Fine.”

Kara stood up and was mid-squealed when Alex raised her hand to stop her.

"We stay, and we try to take advantage of what they can offer us, but if it doesn't work out and they can't help us...we walk, understood?" Alex spoke with resolution.

Kara nodded, "Understood."


	4. Chapter 4

Alex woke to the sound of roosters crowing outside. The sunlight filtering through the thin, white curtains on her window bathed the room with a soft, orange light. She stretched and was relieved when her ribs barely protested. Her headache was gone too.

Four days had passed since they were rescued and brought to this town. Alex's been in full bed-rest, with Kara never leaving her side. It has also been three days since they've been settled in the small cottage offered to them. It was not much; it only had one worn-out sofa, a couple of chairs with a table, and one large bed, which she shared with her sister.

Alex sat up, testing her ribs with each movement, and carefully got off the bed. She looked at her reflection in a dirty mirror on the wall. She was wearing a white tank top and gray pants she didn't recognize.

Her face had gained her color back, but the bags under her eyes told a story of endless sleepless nights.

The weight she'd carried over her shoulders for ten years now and the multiple scars on her arms and shoulders had taken a toll on her, mentally and physically. More mentally, since the remainder of her immunity and what it could mean to the world was sometimes too heavy to carry. And even though she knew she had her sister, she always felt like this was ultimately her crusade.

"You're off the bed," Kara said from behind her. Her hair was still wet from a recent shower.

Alex turned, "Yeah, I'm feeling great today."

At that moment, her stomach growled.

Kara laughed, "Well, in that case...instead of me bringing breakfast here, let's go to the dining area together."

Alex hesitated for a second but then nodded, "Sure. I'll get dressed."

Kara gestured towards the small bathroom, "There is running water, but not for drinking. There is a toothbrush for you as well."

Alex nodded and looking down at herself; she asked, "Where are my clothes?"

"Oh, they are drying outside," Kara said, stepping towards the door, "I'll go grab them for you."

Once Kara was gone, closing the door behind her, Alex gently lifted off her tank-top. A fading bruise was visible on her right side. She touched it softly, feeling it a bit tender.

A soap bar was placed on the tub's edge, and next to the soap, a toothbrush that looked as if it had seen better days.

With a sigh, Alex peeled off her pants and jumped on the bathtub.

"Alex, there aren't curtains, so I'll just leave your clothes on the bed," Kara said from outside the bathroom, "I'll be waiting in front of the house."

"Thanks," Alex said, closing her eyes and allowing the cold water to run from her head to her toes.

With the soap, she washed her body and her hair. It didn't have a specific smell to it. Taking the toothbrush, she rubbed it on the soap and brushed her teeth.

Once dressed up with her jeans, T-shirt, and flannel over it, Alex joined Kara outside.

"Looking fresh and clean," Kara said, beaming.

"Someone woke up happy today," Alex said, glancing around.

"You have not seen this place," Kara said excitedly, "It's amazing, Alex."

"Yeah, it is," Alex replied.

"Come on, follow me," Kara said, striding away.

Alex followed her sister, glimpsing around them as they walked. Jackson seemed surrounded mostly by woods and mountains. Trees and patches of green peacefully coexisted with the houses and structures. Alex could hear animals like chickens, cows, sheep, and dogs around them, and in the background, running water, which meant a lake or a river, was surrounding the town.

It felt serene and safe, as if the world outside the protective walls, the world wasn't in chaos.

"This way," Kara said, walking towards a two floors building.

The interior was a large open space packed with tables and chairs. People sat eating their meals, some in silence, and others in friendly chatting. Some looked up at them with a guarded expression.

They were strangers, after all.

"Here," Kara said, pointing at a serving area.

"Hello, dear," An old lady greeted them with a beaming smile, "I see your sister is feeling well today."

Kara nodded, matching the woman's smile, "This is my sister Alex," Kara placed her hand on Alex's shoulder, "Alex, this is Bertha, the town's chef."

Bertha cleaned her hand on her apron and extended it to Alex, "Nice to finally meet you."

Alex accepted the offered hand.

"Today's special is corn and eggs," Bertha said, offering two containers to them.

Kara took hers, and Alex accepted the other one.

"Would you like coffee?" Bertha asked, "It's black."

Kara shook her head, but Alex accepted a cup.

On their way to a table, Kara was greeted by several town residents. Alex couldn't help feel guilty because she knew Kara was already settling in, the way she always wanted.

"Look!" Kara said, "It's Maggie and her friends."

Alex followed Kara's pointing finger and locked eyes with Maggie.

"Hey guys, come join us!" The tall black man said with a welcoming smile.

Kara didn't hesitate twice before practically running towards them. Alex followed behind.

"Someone is feeling better today," Maggie said, a soft smile on her face.

Kara sat between the two other women who offered her the empty space, and Alex sat across from Maggie.

"I am, Thanks to you and your friends," Alex said, returning the smile.

"All thanks to Olivia," Maggie said, "She is a great nurse. We are lucky we found her a couple of years ago."

Alex nodded and glanced around the familiar faces she remembered from the day they got rescued.

"Oh, where are my manners," Maggie said, shaking her head, "This is Winn, Vasquez, Sam, and James."

Kara frantically shook hands with all of them, "I'm Kara, and this is my sister Alex. We love it here so much!"

Alex restrained herself from rolling her eyes at Kara's enthusiastic energy, "Nice to meet all of you, and again, Thank you for saving our lives." Alex said, her eyes landing on Maggie.

Maggie bowed her head slightly and then took a sip from her coffee.

Alex took a moment to study the woman in front of her.

Maggie was naturally beautiful, Alex could tell. Her chocolate eyes and full lips matched her cinnamon skin perfectly. Her long hair looked soft, falling over her shoulders.

Alex shook her head when she saw Maggie's full lips moving.

"Uh?" Alex asked, blushing profoundly, knowing she was caught gazing at Maggie.

Maggie raised one perfect eyebrow and smiled, "I was asking if you were ready for an official tour of Jackson?"

Alex nodded hastily, "Yes, of course."

"Very well, finish your breakfast and join me outside," Maggie said, standing up and drinking the last of her coffee.

Alex and Kara finished their breakfast and found Maggie standing in front of the building.

The rest of the group said their goodbyes, and Alex caught the looks between Kara and James.

"This way," Maggie said.

Maggie led them around Jackson, pointing at every key place in town. Alex was speechless at the level of structure and order this place had. From an infirmary to classrooms, from the kitchen to an armory. They grew their vegetables and fruits and produced their eggs and meat and milk. There were even a small cemetery and a stable—a playground for the kids and a bar for the adults.

"This is amazing," Alex said, "We've been in many places before, nothing compares to this place."

Maggie smiled proudly, "Yeah, we've been doing alright, I guess."

Walking near the stable, a man waved at Maggie. Maggie walked towards him, and Alex and Kara followed.

"Hey, Tommy," Maggie greeted the man, "What's up?"

The man, Tommy, eyed Alex and Kara suspiciously.

"It's ok, they're good," Maggie reassured him.

Tommy quickly relaxed, and Alex knew Maggie was a well-respected member of the town.

"It's Omar," Tommy said, a notebook in his hand, "He signed off last night for his patrol and was supposed to be back this morning."

Maggie took the notebook and observed the entries, "He went alone?"

Tommy nodded, "He said that it was ok to go by himself and told Aubrey to go home."

Maggie frowned, "That's odd."

Tommy nodded again, "Yeah, I was going to report it to J'onn, but then I saw you."

"Get a horse ready for me, please," Maggie said, turning around to face Alex and Kara.

"Are you going by yourself?" Alex asked.

"Yes, he probably fell asleep," Maggie said, "You guys should head to J'onn's office; he wanted to meet you guys."

"His office is in the command center, right?" Kara asked, glancing behind her to the buildings.

"Yes, ask anyone if you get lost. People here are very friendly," Maggie said with an apologetic smile.

Alex watched Maggie walk away and hesitated for a second, "Wait!"

Maggie stopped and turned with a quizzical look.

"Let me go with you," Alex said from where she was standing.

"What?" Kara quickly said, "But you're still hurting."

Maggie tilted her head, "I got this, Alex; this isn't my first rodeo."

"I know, I would still like to go with you," Alex said.

Maggie thought about it for a second and then nodded, "Very well, I'll get a horse ready for you."

"Alex wha-"

"I'm ok, Kara," Alex reassured her sister, "Go to J'onn and tell him we are very grateful and compliant to help as much as we can while we are here."

Kara studied her sister for a moment, "If you're sure...”

Alex patted Kara's shoulder and jogged towards the stable.

The horses trotted steadily, both side by side. Alex shifted her old backpack on her shoulder.

"Thanks for my backpack and guns," Alex said, breaking the silence.

Maggie glanced at her, briefly, "Sure, no problem. We don't allow guns inside Jackson, so as soon as we return, you'll have to hand the guns back to Tommy."

"Fair enough," Alex said.

They fell back into silence as the birds chirped around them—the sound of nature as their background company.

"You know where he is?" Alex asked, disrupting the silence again.

"Everyone we send off gets a specific route," Maggie said, "He was supposed to make sure the area around an old radio station remains clear."

"Hunting for supplies?" Alex asked.

"That too," Maggie said, shrugging one elbow, "But most of the time, we patrol to make sure our adjacent areas are free of infected."

"Have you had any troubles with people like those men that wanted to attack Kara and me?" Alex questioned, keeping a steady speed on her horse to stay at Maggie's side.

"The Luthors," Maggie said, "We've been involved in a couple of altercations with them, yes."

"Who are them?" Alex asked.

"A militia group," Maggie replied, "Mainly focused on gaining territories, or whatever," she murmured the last past.

Alex frowned, realizing the fragility of everything.

"What if they want to invade Jackson?" Alex asked with concern in her voice.

Maggie shook her head, "A war would mean a waste of manpower and supplies" She chuckled, "I don't think that's what they want. They prey on small groups, like you and your sister."

Alex nodded and squeezed the leather reins in her hand, remembering how close they were to being killed.

"What about you?" Maggie asked, pulling Alex away from her thoughts.

Alex grimaced, "What you mean?"

Maggie glanced at her again, a curious expression plastered in her beautiful face, "Why were you and your sister traveling alone?"

Alex felt her defensive walls erect around her, "We've been doing it for years."

"Why?"

Alex shifted uncomfortably on her saddle, "Because we like it."

"You like being alone and vulnerable to threats?" Maggie asked, her eyes fixed on Alex.

"We've been doing just fine," Alex said coldly.

"Until a couple of days ago, you mean," Maggie said, turning her eyes to the path they were going, making sure they were on the right trail.

Alex said nothing, and for a second, she regretted joining Maggie.

"Your sister seems happy to be in Jackson," Maggie commented, catching Alex's change in demeanor.

"She is," Alex replied.

Maggie looked at Alex, expecting more from her, but Alex seemed only to want to give her crumbs.

"That's a nice tattoo you got there," Maggie pushed, pointing at Alex's wrist where the end of a fern could be seen under her long sleeve.

Alex instinctively pulled the sleeve lower, not saying a word.

"Why ar-"

Maggie's next question was interrupted by a horse intercepting their way.

"Woah!" Maggie exclaimed, wanting to reassure the scared horse.

Alex gripped the reins of her horse tightly, sensing it was anxious.

"That is Omar's horse," Maggie said, patting her horse's back and jumping off it.

"How do you know?" Alex asked.

Maggie carefully grabbed the loosened reins of the lost horse and forced the horse to look at her.

"Hey, buddy, it's ok," She said softly, caressing the horse's face. She then caressed the horse's side, stopping at a burned mark in the shape of a 'J,' "We mark our horses."

Alex glanced around them; there were no signs of Omar.

"The radio station is up ahead," Maggie said, "Come on."

Maggie jumped on her horse and pulled the third horse by the reins.

As in cue, the abandoned one-floor building appeared in the distance, between debris and nature's take over. A sign with 'WAPA Radio Station' was hanging from one side of the roof.

They tied the horse securely on the trees.

Maggie pulled her gun out and watched Alex do the same.

"I'll go first," Maggie said, getting ready to push open the front door.

"No, wait," Alex said, holding Maggie's arm, "Let me go first."

Maggie tilted her head and frowned, "Any reason why?"

Alex shifted on her feet, trying to come up with a reason other than the fact that if there were an infected inside, an unexpected bite wouldn't kill Alex.

"I'm trying to prove myself here," Alex shrugged, and without another word, she pushed the door open and walked in first.

Maggie rolled her eyes and shook her head, stepping inside the building after Alex.

Alex quickly scanned the area. It looked like it once served as a reception.

Maggie walked in behind her, her gun fixed in her hands, "Should we separate?"

"No," Alex said, "We stick together."

Maggie squinted at Alex, "You do know I've been doing this for years, right?"

Alex nodded, "Proving myself, remember?"

Maggie sighed, "I never asked you to do such a thing."

"I want to," Alex said, walking towards a door to their left, "So, together, ok?"

"Fine," Maggie said, sensing there was no point in arguing.

Alex pushed the door open.

"It's very dark," Alex said, reaching behind to her backpack for her solar flashlight.

Maggie did the same, taking a smaller flashlight in her hand.

They walked side by side, expertly scanning the area for any infected.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked in a whisper when she noticed Maggie picking something from the floor.

Maggie lifted a half-filled bottle of alcohol in her hand, "Supplies," she said.

The area they were inspecting looked like offices with dusty and moldy desks and chairs and old computers.

"This way," Maggie said, spotting another door.

"Wait!" Alex pulled Maggie back by the arm.

"What the fuck? Are we going to argue who is going to go first every time?" Maggie asked, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at Alex.

Alex pointed at the door, "Spores."

Maggie turned and saw the small particles coming from the crack of the door.

Spore development is the last stage in the life cycle of an infected. This lifeless carcass served as a breeding ground for the virus to spread through the enviroment as well.

"Damn it," Maggie cursed, knowing very well that if there were spores, then there were infected inside, "I only have one mas-"

But Alex was already putting on her own breathing mask.

"Right," Maggie murmured, adjusting her mask on her head.

Alex pushed the door open and glanced at both sides before completely stepping inside.

"We're going to have a talk about this," Maggie murmured behind Alex.

Alex ignored Maggie and focused on scanning the place. From the look of their surroundings, it looks like they were in the recording area.

A low growl stopped Alex in her tracks, making Maggie bump into her.

"What?" Maggie whispered.

Alex lifted her hand, her finger to her lips, and then pointed at a recording booth near them.

A large shadow was seen through the musty glass.

"Oh no," Maggie hissed between her teeth.

"A bloater," Alex nodded, "We need to keep quiet."

Bloaters were large and strong. Killing them often took more time and skills.

They walked carefully, stepping over wreckage and glass on the floor.

One piece of glass under Alex's boot made a cracking noise, and the bloater turned abruptly towards the noise.

"Shit," Alex cursed.

Before Maggie could speak, the bloater snarled loudly and ran towards them.

Alex pushed Maggie away into another open room.

"What the fuck?" Maggie screamed, landing on her back.

She watched as Alex jumped behind a desk, fixed her gun at the bloater, and shot it multiple times.

The bloater fell on its knee but was quick to stand up and continue running towards Alex.

"Damn it," Maggie cursed.

She glanced around the room, spotting an empty beer bottle on the floor. She crawled towards it and shrugged her backpack off.

She then took the alcohol and poured it on the bottle. Ripping a piece of her sleeve off, she shoved it in the bottle as well.

Growling and shots were heard in the distance.

"Come on, come on," Maggie breathed, trying to light a match from her kit.

The match lit up, and she fired up the bottle.

"Yes," She said with relief.

A loud crash startled Maggie. She ran out of the room and into the hallway, where she saw Alex on the floor, pointing her gun at the bloater who was launching for her.

"Hey, fucker!" Maggie screamed, knowing the noise will catch the bloater's attention.

It turned and focused its attention on Maggie, who held the fired-up bottle in her hand.

Once it was at a safe distance from Alex, Maggie threw the bottle at it, bursting into flames.

After a couple of seconds of screeching and growling, it fell motionless on the floor.

Maggie leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees and catching a breath.

"Are you ok?" Alex asked from where she was standing on the other side of the hallway.

Maggie ignored her, walking around the flaming bloater.

"Are-"

Maggie cut her question off by pushing Alex against the wall, hand on her neck, "Don't you ever push me away like that, ever again!"

Alex looked at Maggie through their masks; she could see the anger and fear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Alex said, still breathless from her encounter.

Maggie pushed back and leaned against the opposite wall.

Alex's eyes went from Maggie to the opened door of the office next to them.

"Oh," Alex said, leaning heavier against the wall.

"What?" Maggie asked, turning to follow Alex's eyes.

There on the floor of the office, laid Omar, a gunshot wound on his temple.

"Damn it, Omar," Maggie cursed, stepping inside and kneeling next to him.

There was a tape recorder on the floor next to the body.

Maggie took it and pressed play and listened to a crying Omar.

_“I can’t do this. I’m so tired of being scared all the time. The growling, I can’t take it anymore. I’m so grateful for Jackson, but I’m a coward, I don’t belong there. I can't offer them anything. I can’t die the same way dad died. I can’t.”_

The recording stopped and Maggie clenched her jaw, holding back tears. Omar was 15 when his father was bitten while patrolling. As soon as he turned 17, he asked to join the team, in honor of his father.

“I’m so sorry,” Alex said, standing behind Maggie.

Maggie nodded sadly, “He was only 19.”

Alex watched as Maggie took his gun and backpack.

“We need to carry him outside and take him back to Jackson on his horse,” Maggie said, standing up and looking at Alex, “His mother would want to give him a burial.”

Alex could see the tears in Maggie’s eyes even through the mask.

“Of course,” Alex said, feeling deep in her heart, the loss of this young man who she never met.


	5. Chapter 5

Maggie stood in front of her bathroom mirror and frowned at her reflection. Giving Omar's mother the news and witnessing her collapse over her oldest son's lifeless body had drained Maggie to the core.

The anger and sadness she usually sensed at all times appeared to be heightened by the outcome of the recent event. Another lost life to a raging world that only seemed to grow more hostile with time.

"Hey," The tender voice of Winn leaning against the doorframe pulled her back from her darkness.

Maggie blinked and ran her fingers through her damped hair. She had taken a shower, wanting desperately to wash away the lingering traces of hopelessness.

"We don't have to go out if you don't want to," Her best friend said, "We could stay in and play some PlayStation 2. I'll even let you beat me at Crash Bandicoot."

Maggie chuckled and turned to meet his grinning smile. He was holding a dusty PS2 controller in his hand.

She still remembers the day they found it years ago in a deserted house. It was in perfect condition. They spent endless nights playing these old games as a reminder that the world as they knew it had stood still, frozen in time.

"Thanks for the tempting offer," Maggie said, walking past him and into the living room, "But I could use some beer."

"Oh, thank god," He said, sighing dramatically, "Me too."

Maggie picked her leather jacket and threw it over her shoulders; it started to get chilly at night.

"Also, the sisters are going to be there," Winn followed her outside.

Maggie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the faint blushing of her cheeks, "And?"

"Nothing," Winn shrugged, "I see the way you look at her."

She huffed and shook her head, "Shut up, Winn."

"I'm just saying," He wiggled his eyebrows.

Maggie pushed him hard enough to make him topple to the side.

The town was lit up everywhere. It was very much alive. Kids played outside with their balls or chasing each other while adults gathered in small groups in multiple areas, chatting and laughing.

It was one of those nights where they allowed themselves to pretend the world didn't exist, except for them.

Winn pushed open the wooden bar door, and they were greeted by loud chattering and background music.

"Hey!" Sam called from the spot she was with the rest of their group.

Maggie spotted Kara among them, chatting enthusiastically with James.

"I guess both sisters are taken," Winn murmured.

Maggie elbowed him with a smile on her face.

Alex, however, was missing from the group, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed at the thought of Alex declining the invitation.

"Stop it with the sad puppy face," Winn said, "She is sitting on the bar."

Maggie glanced briefly at the bar and spotted the brunette sitting, nursing a mug of beer.

"I have no sad puppy face," Maggie glared at Winn.

He laughed out loud and turned to join their group of friends, "Sure," he said over his shoulder.

Maggie watched him hug everyone in the group, and then she turned to walk towards the bar.

"Hey," Maggie said softly, sitting on the barstool next to Alex.

Alex looked up from her beer and gifted Maggie with a beaming smile.

"Hey," She responded.

"Hey, Mags," A man in his fifties smiled gently at her, "beer or wine?"

"Hi Harold," Maggie returned the gentle smile, "Beer is fine, thanks."

Harold nodded, a mug with beer appearing on the table in seconds.

Alex shook her head with a disarming smile and puffed out air.

"What?" Maggie asked, taking a sip from the beer.

Alex turned the mug around and shrugged, "This town is amazing. It blows my mind."

Maggie nodded, understanding Alex's amazement perfectly.

"And this tastes amazing," Alex said, gesturing at her mug.

"Yeah, we've been making our own beer and wine for a while now," she said, taking another sip of her beer, "Trust me, the first years it tasted like dirt."

Alex laughed out loud, and it made Maggie tingle inside. Alex's short hair was slightly tousled, and her nose and cheekbones had a rose tint on them. She was possibly the most beautiful woman Maggie has ever seen.

Swallowing her desire to run her fingers through Alex's hair, she said, "It also comes handy whenever we want to trade with other towns."

"I bet," Alex nodded.

"There is a small town nearby that trades us coffee beans for beer," Maggie said.

"Sounds like a fair trade," Alex replied, turning to her side to face Maggie.

Maggie nodded, looking down at her mug, feeling uncharacteristically shy.

Loud laughter made Alex look towards the group of friends and spotted her sister laughing and having a good time.

It's been a while since she's seen her look so carefree and happy.

"Is it always like this?" Alex asked, turning around completely, leaning back against the bar and facing the crowd.

Maggie imitated her pose, "Not always, but we do like to take a couple of days and just...enjoy ourselves."

"Without a worry to the world," Alex murmured almost to herself.

A man pulled a woman into his arms, spinning her around rhythmically to the music.

Maggie glanced at Alex for a second and said softly, "Want to see something cool?"

Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at her, "Yes."

Maggie beamed, "Come on; follow me."

Alex felt Maggie's hand grab hers, and she followed her without hesitation. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted Kara dancing in James' arms before Maggie pulled her out of the bar.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked, feeling the cold night pierce through her clothes.

"You'll see," Maggie said, leading Alex by the hand across town.

Walking near a gated area, Maggie picked two flashlights from a toolbox and handed one to Alex.

"Are we going out?" Alex whispered as if scared of getting caught sneaking out.

"Don't worry, it's absolutely safe," Maggie reassured her, "Come on."

Soft giggles froze them in place. Maggie pressed her finger to her lips for Alex to keep quiet as she turned her flashlight on and pointed at the source of the giggles.

Two young teens stood kissing against the side of an old tractor.

"Hey," Maggie shouted.

The boy jumped back and turned with his eyes wide open. The girl covered her mouth with one hand, probably hiding a smile.

"I bet your parents have no idea you two are sneaking back here to kiss," Maggie said, her free hand resting on her hips.

The boy, visibly scared to death, shook his head, "No, ma'am."

Alex smirked at the situation.

"You both know this is a restricted area, and only patrols can come here," Maggie continued.

The teenage boy pushed his chest forward, chin up, and said, "I'm going to be a patrol officer one day, Ma'am."

Maggie smiled briefly at the sense of protection even the young ones had for this town, "That is one day when you are older and stronger."

The boy deflated and nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Maggie pointed the flashlight at the girl that was still trying to hold her laughter.

"What's so funny?" Maggie asked, stepping forward.

The teenage girl gulped and pressed back against the wall, "Nothing, ma'am."

"I want both of you to get your butts out of here," Maggie demanded, "Now."

The two teenagers nodded and hurried away.

"And I'm telling your parents," She screamed after them.

When Maggie turned, Alex stood with the goofiest smirk on her face.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing," Alex said, mocking a military salute, "Ma'am."

Maggie chuckled, "Come on."

After crossing a short path between Jackson and a river, Maggie and Alex got on a small wooden boat to cross the river towards a large structure on the other side.

Alex's uneasiness settled once she realized there were patrol officers in each corner of the place.

"Mags?" A man shouted from one of the towers.

Maggie waved her flashlight, "Yes!"

The metal doors creaked open, and they walked inside.

"What is this place?" Alex asked.

"It's our hydroelectric dam," Maggie said, signing their names on a notebook, "It's what gives us power whenever we need it."

Alex wheeled in circles, looking at the large place around her. Men and women were standing in their posts in different areas of the structure.

A roaring sound came from within its formation.

"We weren't expecting visitors," A man came down metal stairs to greet them.

"I'm sorry, Elliot, this is Alex; she is new in town," Maggie gestured to Alex, "I'm just showing her around."

Elliot smiled and shook Alex's hand, "Welcome to Jackson," he said with an undying pride in his eyes.

"Everything quiet?" Maggie asked.

The man nodded, "All good."

"Well, I'll just be around," Maggie said, patting Alex's shoulder.

"Nice to meet you," Alex said before being pushed further into the place.

The place was gigantic—rusty in most areas. A small makeshift office with supplies, maps, weapons, and ammunition was set on the second floor.

They were stopped multiple times by people greeting Maggie and introducing themselves to Alex as they went up to the top.

"Wow," Alex breathed.

They reached the top of the structure; Jackson's whole town completely lit up could be seen from where they stood.

"I know," Maggie said, standing beside Alex.

She hugged herself as it got colder and windier with the altitude.

"How-" Alex cut herself off, not knowing exactly what to say. Everything about Jackson was so extraordinary and magnificent.

"J'onn spent years trying to get this thing to work," Maggie said, "I was still young, but I remember the talks about this place."

Alex placed her hands on the rusty railing, feeling the rumbling.

"Once they managed to fix the large piece that was out of place, it came to life," Maggie finished.

"You don't use it every day?" Alex asked.

Maggie shook her head, "There is a schedule we follow," she said, also placing her hands on the railing next to Alex's, "The less we use it, the more it will last and the less maintenance it will need."

"Makes sense," Alex replied, shifting her eyes from the view below them to Maggie, "Have you guys ever had any issues with others wanting to claim it?"

"As you saw, it is heavily guarded," Maggie said, "but we've had our share of intruders."

She breathed in and smiled, "But look at this.... isn’t it beautiful?" She gestured at the view with her open arms.

Alex, her eyes still on Maggie, nodded, "Breathtaking," she whispered.

Maggie, sensing Alex's eyes on her, turned towards her and tilted her head slightly, "Who are you?"

The question took Alex by surprise, and she took one step back defensively, "What you mean?"

Maggie studied her for a second, "Where you come from? Who is Alex Danvers?"

Alex glanced away, towards the town below, not saying a word.

Maggie, sensing her walls going up, decided to take the first step.

"When I was fourteen, my parents kicked me out of the house for being gay," She started.

Alex glanced back at her, surprise in her eyes at Maggie's openness.

"My dad caught me kissing my best friend Eliza in my room," She continued, "He packed my bags and sent me away."

Alex leaned against the railing, her back to the view and her full attention on Maggie.

Maggie fidgeted with her hands, feeling vulnerable, not being used to speaking so openly to a stranger.

"My aunt took me in without hesitation," she carried on, "The first months were extremely hard for me."

"You missed your parents?" Alex asked softly.

Maggie thought about it for a second, "Not really; I guess I missed whatever I thought home meant back then."

Alex listened attentively.

"But my aunt was so patient and loving with me," Maggie said with a tearful smile at the mention of her aunt, "She became home very quickly."

"She knew you were gay?" Alex asked.

Maggie laughed, "She bought me my first lesbian romance novel."

Alex joined her laughter until it died down back to a comfortable silence.

"I think it was two years and a half later," Maggie said, squinting her eyes at a distance, lost in thoughts, "When everything went to hell."

"2010," Alex nodded.

"2010," Maggie repeated, "My aunt and uncle responded quickly, and before I could even understand what was going on, we were already on our way out of the city."

A heavier silence fell upon them, and Alex could guess what was in Maggie's mind.

"I never knew what happened to my parents," Maggie said softly, "But I am almost 100% sure they didn't survive beyond the first days."

"What makes you think that?" Alex asked.

Maggie chuckled, "My father was the most stubborn man to exist. There is no way he would've left his home and precious belongings."

Alex nodded, shifting on her feet, "Then I guess you were lucky they kicked you out."

Maggie hummed, "Yeah, I guess I was."

She cleared her throat and shook off the melancholy, "Anyways, after months of following trails and hiding and surviving a new reality we didn't quite understand, we came across this place."

"Jackson was already up?" Alex asked.

Maggie shook her head, "It was just a bunch of empty houses and buildings back then. People had fled, leaving all their belongings behind."

"Were you the first ones?"

Maggie shook her head again, "Not really, there was already a small group of people settled in. J'onn was their leader."

Alex smiled at the mention of the man that had warmly welcomed her and her sister.

"My uncle was a hunter, so he was quickly asked to join patrolling." Maggie ran her fingers through her lengthy hair, sighing at the memories, "My aunt has always been good with gardening."

"And you?" Alex asked.

"I was just a scared sixteen years old," Maggie sighed, and then smiled brightly, "And then, a couple of weeks later, a woman and her shy teenage son came in, and we welcomed them."

"Winn?" Alex asked, already knowing the answer, judging by Maggie's gorgeous bright smile.

"Winn," She confirmed, "He was so scared and shy. They were running from the plague and an abusive father. We bonded immediately and became attached to the hips."

They smiled at each other. Alex could see the sparkles in Maggie's eyes and the warmth on her face at the memories.

"While the adults worked hard to build a community, we snuck around and got into a lot of trouble."

Alex hummed, "Sounds like you got a second chance at being teenagers."

Maggie eyed her and noticed the sadness and resentment that came with that statement, "We did, under the circumstances," she said softly.

Alex swallowed and pushed her hands into her pockets. Maggie noticed the tension in her jawline.

"Your turn," Maggie said softly, "But only if you want to."

Alex stood frozen in place for a few seconds. Her eyes fixed in the distance, on the dancing lights of the town below them.

"I was seventeen when it happened," Alex started hesitantly, "Kara was fifteen."

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the railing, much like Alex did when she was the one talking.

"It was just a normal summer day," Alex continued, "My parents, they-" Alex swallowed, her voice shaking with emotions, "They were scientists, so they quickly grasped the danger of the situation."

Maggie tilted her head, watching Alex's eyes hardening at whatever memory was crossing her mind.

"Much like your parents, they acted fast. We packed our bags and prepared to leave the city."

Alex bit the inisde of her cheek, as if thinking what to say next.

"We-" Alex cleared her throat, urging her voice to stop trembling, "We got intercepted in the woods by two military men. Since it was dark, my sister and I managed to hide, but my parents eventually got spotted by them."

By the look of Alex's eyes, Maggie knew that whatever happened in those woods was still haunting Alex to this date.

"I don't remember much, but the gunshots seemed...endless. By the time they were gone, I had managed to crawl out of the bushes, and they were just-"

"Hey," Maggie stopped her, noticing the tears filling Alex's eyes, "It's ok; you don't have to go through that again."

Alex nodded and locked eyes with Maggie, "Ever since that day, it's only been my sister and me."

"For ten years?" Maggie asked, tilting her head and injecting a gentle tone in her words, "Never came across a place to settle in?"

"We did, but never stuck around long enough."

Maggie nodded, "What are you after?"

Alex blinked. The sense of safety and trust she got from Maggie made her want to tell it all—the whole story. Tell Maggie about her immunity and the hope she carried within herself for a vaccine. A hope to restore the world they once knew.

"Maggie," The voice of a woman from below them crushed the moment.

Maggie leaned forward, "What's up, Nadia?"

"We got words that Winn is...a little drunk," Nadia said, gesturing at the radio in her hand.

Maggie hung her head and sighed heavily, "Of course he is."

Alex turned away, torn between feeling relief for the interruption and disappointed at the missed opportunity to come clean to Maggie.

"Thanks, Nadia, we will be in our way," Maggie glanced at Alex, "Ready to head back?"

Alex nodded, "Sure."

Once back in town, Sam and Vazquez stood in Maggie's living room with Winn sprawled on her sofa.

"Seriously?" Maggie said.

"Heyyyy," Winn slurred, "It's the two love birds."

Maggie smacked the back of his head.

"Ouch!" Winn cried, "What was that for?" He frowned, his eyes unfocused.

Alex glanced around, not seeing Kara or James.

“He threw up a couple of times earlier,” Sam said, “He should be fine after a good sleep and some water.”

Winn scuffed, “What- I feel fine,” He tried to stand up but stumbled back down, “We can go on an adventure together!”

"Girls, thank you for keeping an eye on him," Maggie said, smiling apologetically at them, “Next time, he is paying the whole night,” She glared at Winn who was murmuring something.

Sam and Vázquez both patted Winn's head.

"See you, buddy," Sam said.

"Where is Kara?" Alex asked.

"James took her to see the newborn pigs," Vazquez said without more explanation as she walked away.

Winn groaned, "The room is moving so fast, make it stop!”

Maggie ignored him and turned to Alex, "Did you have fun?"

Alex pushed her hands on her jean pockets, a gesture Maggie had quickly recognized as a sign of nervousness.

"I did," Alex said, a faint blush on her cheeks, "Thanks for taking me."

"My pleasure," Maggie said with an almost flirty smile.

When Alex turned to leave, Maggie's hand stopped her.

"Thank you for trusting me," Maggie said with a gentle smile, her hand falling from Alex's shoulder.

Alex felt horrible at the kindness she found in the beautiful woman's eyes. She didn't deserve it.

"Yeah...Of course," Alex said, before walking away with her head hanging low.


	6. Chapter 6

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, Alex and Kara quickly became active members of the community and the patrolling team in Jackson Ville. With Alex's advanced experience with weapons and the outside world, it was easy to fall in place with the team. No need for training.

She quickly got familiar with the team's quirks and ways of doing things, especially with Maggie.

And while Kara found activities to do each day and new friends to be with, Alex regained an independence from her she never expected to have.

"After today's patrolling, James invited me to a nearby aquarium," Kara said one day as they got ready, "It's abandoned, of course, but he said we could still see whales and other sea animals."

Alex eyed her for a moment. It's been a while since her little sister has had that fire in her eyes.

It's been a while since a lot of things.

"Just be careful," Alex replied while tying her boots.

Kara chuckled, "It's not like I can die from a bite."

And the realization of who they were and why they were here came back at them like a sharp knife, popping the bubble of comfort and happiness they've created in the past weeks.

"You know what I mean," Alex said without looking up from her boots.

Kara breathed and nodded.

Patrolling quickly turned into being invited to friends-night and other fun events. Faces in town turned familiar. They’ve had tea with Maggie’s aunt on various occasions, and even J’onn had invited them multiple times to his office for a beer. He became fascinated with Alex’s extensive knowledge of maps, and she knew, by the sparkles in his eyes, that he had big plans for her and this thriving town.

Kara was delighted. Alex was not so sure, but she allowed the temporary distraction.

It was one rainy afternoon when Alex voiced it out for the first time. It was brief, just testing the waters.

“I know of a place in Seattle, a Laboratory,” Alex said, her gaze fixed on the soup Bertha had prepared for them, “It’s packed with supplies.”

Kara glared at her. Alex ignored her.

“How do you know?” James asked.

“I heard about it at the last town we were in,” Alex replied, avoiding her sister’s eyes at all times.

“Seattle is a long trip for us,” Sam said, looking at the rest, searching for agreements.

But it was Winn who smiled, “Since when a bit of a distance has ever stopped us before?”

Maggie looked at her best friend how a mother looks at her child after he’s done something wrong.

“What?” Winn asked, “All I’m saying is that if there is a lot of supplies, it’s worth the trip.”

“How about we keep it in mind, and we vote it out later?” Maggie said, not wanting to start a debate.

“Well, I vote yes,” Winn said, winking at Alex.

Alex dared look at her sister, who had daggers for eyes.

They all returned to casual conversations, and they never spoke about Seattle for the rest of the day.

Alex never mentioned it again, either.

That night, as they all sat around a bonfire, Winn jumped on with his crappy jokes that Alex had started to find endearing. She couldn't resist, however, being distracted by Maggie and her striking beauty. Taking her notebook out of her backpack, she silently began sketching her profile. The dancing flames shadowing her perfect face as she laughed at one of Winn’s jokes. Her luscious hair falling to the side as she bumped him with her shoulder. Her characteristically head tilt and her perpetual dimples evoked in Alex unexpected feelings and desires. The warmth that she exuded made her yearn for something she thought she'd never want again… a home.

The next morning, as Alex got ready, she couldn't help but feel excited. She was going out patrolling alone with Maggie today, and Alex was more than looking forward to it.

"Since when do you check yourself out in the mirror before going out patrolling?" Kara asked, entering their bedroom.

Alex ignored her and ran her fingers through her short hair, trying to put the rebel strands in place.

Kara sat on the bed, toying with the dirty green octopus plushy she managed to find at the aquarium's gift shop under a pile of rubble, "You like her, don't you?"

Alex groaned because, of course, her sister would go there, "You better rest, you have patrolling this afternoon, and last night you came back very late," She glared at her sister at that last part.

Kara shrugged, poking the googly eyes on the octopus, "I was with James."

At this, Alex nodded and sat on the edge of the bed next to Kara, "Kara-"

"I know what you are going to say," Kara cut her off, standing abruptly, pacing the small room, "Don't fall in love, Kara, we are not staying," Kara said, childishly imitating Alex.

Alex raised one eyebrow, "I don't sound like that."

Kara groaned, tossing the octopus on a nearby chair, "It happened with Mon-El a couple of years ago, Alex, you kept say-"

"And what that brought you?" Alex interrupted gently, not wanting to bring back those sad memories of Kara finding out her boyfriend had been killed by a group of Clickers. They were so young, and it was a tragedy no one could've prevented. But Alex knew how hard it was for Kara back then.

Kara clenched her jaw but remained silent. 

"We talked about this," Alex said, sensing her sister's distress.

"Yeah," Kara said with a puff of air as she slowly sat on the chair, "It's been years of the same. We are used to sneaking out in the middle of the night and leaving behind friends and lovers, right?"

Alex didn't respond, turning her gaze to the floor.

"I wonder if this time it will be as easy for you as it was all the other times before," Kara said, a challenge in her tone.

Alex swallowed, knowing the meaning behind her sister's words, but not ready to accept it yet.

"I gotta go," She said, standing up, grabbing her jacket and her backpack, and leaving the room.

"Ready?" Maggie asked, a playful smile on her face.

Alex walked closer, a matching smile on hers, "Ready."

"I already signed us off with Tommy," Maggie said, adjusting the saddle on her horse.

Alex looked around, "We're only taking one horse?"

"Yes, we already have too many horses out today," She said, facing Alex with a disarming smile, "Is that ok with you?"

Alex gulped and blushed thoroughly, "Of course, of course."

Maggie chuckled, "Relax, Danvers, I'm a good rider, I promise."

As Alex settled behind Maggie, the intensity of how it felt having her body pressed to Maggie took Alex by surprise.

She has had multiple lovers in the past years as she's gone through places, going from her teens to her adulthood, seeking comfort in stranger's arms. As the scars started to take over her body, she stopped returning the favor. She started taking and stopped giving. But she's never felt the heat and energy from another's body as she felt it right now. She's never needed to be touched by another, like the way she needed to be touched right now.

It was alarming, and Alex had this incredible urge to hug Maggie and press her impossibly close to her body.

"Are you ok?" Maggie asked, somehow sensing Alex's body going stiff.

Alex shifted on the saddle, her hand loosely on Maggie's sides, "Yes."

"Hold on as tight as you want," Maggie said as she ordered the horse into moving.

They rode in comfortable silence, stopping only whenever they came across an abandoned building where they could get in and search for any supplies. Usually, once they were done with the place, Maggie would mark the location on her map and add annotations to it so that she could give it to J'onn at the end of their patrolling.

This is something she's learned J'onn and his team have been doing for years in Jackson, slowly building and expanding their own maps with trails and shortcuts and newly discovered areas. If a building or adjacent regions were too infected, they would also mark it on the map as a potentially dangerous location.

"Alex, I think the horse is getting sick," Maggie suddenly announced.

Alex gasped, leaning closer to look at the horse over Maggie's shoulder, "What? How do you know?"

"Because he sounds a little...hoarse,” Maggie covered her mouth to hold back a laugh.

Alex glared at the back of her head, "Wow, I see we got a comedian in town," she said, nodding casually, trying hard not to laugh.

"It is funny," Maggie shrugging, "Your turn."

Alex snickered, "I don't know," she said, "I'm not good with jokes."

"Try it," Maggie pushed.

Alex sighed and cleared her throat, "Knock, Knock."

Maggie turned with an eyebrow raised, "A knock, knock joke?"

"Knock, fucking Knock," Alex insisted.

Maggie laughed and turned forward, "Who's there?"

"An interrupting cow," Alex said.

"An inter-"

"Moo!" Alex cut her off.

Maggie twirled around, eyes wide open, "Oh, that is so bad, Alex!"

Alex threw her head back and laughed wholeheartedly, "I told you!" She said.

Maggie commanded the horse to stop in front of a building.

"There are bad jokes," She said, hopping off, "Then there is that!"

Alex rolled her eyes, "Whatever," and jumped off the horse as well.

The building was deserted and decayed as expected, but stained posters and ripped signs still hung on the walls.

"Oh my god!" Alex exclaimed, running inside.

"What is it?" Maggie questioned, reaching for her gun automatically.

"It's a music store!" Alex stated, opening her arms and spinning around in a circle.

Maggie sighed and hung her head, "Jesus Alex, you scared me."

Alex ignored her and walked over to a drum set, or whatever was left of it. "It's a drum!"

Maggie smiled at her companion's enthusiasm.

"I take it you like music?" Maggie asked, using her flashlight to see further into the store where the sunlight couldn't reach.

Alex walked around the set, but there weren't any drum-sticks visible.

"Look!" Maggie shouted from one corner, shaking a tambourine in her hand.

It sounded off. It was too rusty and had multiple cymbals missing.

Alex opened her mouth to talk when something cut her attention, "No way!"

"What?" Maggie said, dropping the tambourine on the floor and following Alex into the next room.

There on the floor laid a black, dusty guitar case.

Alex crouched and opened the top part, revealing an old but decently conserved guitar inside. 

"The case must've kept her from breaking," Alex breathed almost in a whisper as she took the guitar out gently.

"Her?" Maggie asked, raising her eyebrow.

Alex said nothing as she sat on a nearby concrete piece that must've fallen from one of the broken walls.

She softly, almost reverently, stroke the strings.

Maggie sensed the shift in the air around them and decided to lower herself to the floor and sit next to Alex's feet.

Alex smiled shyly, a wave of emotion hitting her hard.

"My dad taught me how to play it," Alex said, her hand caressing the body of the guitar, "We would play together for endless hours."

"Play something," Maggie said softly.

"Oh, no," She said, shaking her head, "This is super out of tune."

"Who cares?" Maggie asked, tilting her head.

Alex looked at her for a few seconds, thinking about it.

"Please?" Maggie pouted dramatically.

"Oh my god," Alex scoffed, "You are worse than my sister."

Maggie laughed and watched happily as Alex shifted the guitar on her lap, getting comfortable.

Her fingers stroke the strings again, pressing each cord in a note, producing a melody Maggie knew too well.

" _We're talking away,_ " Alex sang with a shaky voice, " _I don't know what I'm to say; I'll say it anyway._ "

Maggie smiled warmly and hugged her knees to her chest. For a moment, nothing existed outside of that room, only them.

" _Shying away, I'll be coming for your love, okay?_ " Alex sang softly.

Her voice was warm and beautiful. You could tell she was nervous by the way it trembled in certain parts. Her right foot tapped softly and rhythmically on the floor.

It was the most beautiful spectacle Maggie has ever seen.

" _Take on me,_ " Alex continued, smiling brightly at Maggie, " _Take me on...I'll be gone, in a day or two._ "

Maggie swayed mildly to the music.

Alex continued singing each word and tone by memory. She'd alternate her eyes from her hands on the guitar to Maggie, feeling lightheaded and giddy with adrenaline.

The song was over too fast. They both remained in their place, in silence for a couple of seconds.

Alex blushed and shrugged, "That's it."

"That was beautiful, Alex," Maggie said softly, her eyes fixated on her.

"Yeah, it's ok, I guess," Alex chuckled shyly.

Maggie thought about it for a second and then said, "That night at the bonfire."

Alex swallowed hard and turned her eyes to the floor, "What about it?"

"You were looking at me," Maggie said matter-of-factly.

Alex looked over at her, a bit taken aback by her calmness, "Yes."

"Why?" Maggie pushed, obviously wanting a reaction from her.

Alex locked eyes with her and bit her lower lip, "I- I wanted to kiss you."

Maggie smiled knowingly, "I wish you did," she almost whispered.

Alex nodded, gently placing the guitar back on its case. Standing up, she extended her hand to the stunning woman sitting on the floor.

Maggie took it and was pulled up to her feet, and without a second of hesitation, their lips met in a soaring kiss.

Their mouths were closed, pressed together with an uncontrollably need. Maggie ran her fingers through Alex's hair and pulled her impossibly close, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss.

Alex moaned, feeling every inch of her body burning at the contact with Maggie's tongue. She wrapped her arms around Maggie's waist and pressed their body tight, feeling each other as they kissed deeply.

"Wow," Alex breathed when she broke the kiss to take some air.

Maggie nodded, pressing her forehead to Alex's, "I know."

Alex looked at her; their bodies still pressed together, "I've wanted to do that."

"I know," Maggie smiled sweetly and kissed her lightly on the lips, "Come on, I want to take you somewhere."

Alex frowned and swayed her head, feeling confused, "What?"

Maggie bit her lips, taking a step back, "I want to take you somewhere; come on!"

"Aren't we supposed to continue patrolling?" Alex asked, sobering up with the abrupt interruption.

"Our backpacks are full," Maggie replied, already walking towards the door. "Come on."

Alex sighed, wanting nothing more than to shut Maggie up and kiss her over and over and over again. But she picked up her backpack from the floor and followed her.

The ride wasn't as steady as before. Maggie pushed the horse into a full-on gallop.

Alex held tight to her, scanning their surroundings as much as she could, not wanting to miss any signs of danger.

"Here," Maggie eventually said, a couple of minutes into their run.

Alex looked around them; a large building stood almost in ruins.

"Where are we?" Alex asked, confused.

"Trust me," Maggie said, slowing the horse into a steady walk, following a trail she seemed to be too familiar with, "Here."

Maggie jumped off, and Alex followed and was quickly led inside the building by her hand.

Maggie knew where she was going. She didn't miss a turn or a door as she guided them up to the building.

Wooden platforms served as bridges to cross from one side of the building to the other whenever the floor was too destroyed to cross.

When they reached a door, Maggie turned abruptly, causing Alex to bump into her.

"What?" Alex blinked, a bit breathless from the run.

"Close your eyes," Maggie smiled.

"I-"

But Maggie cut her off by kissing her painfully softly, "Close your eyes," she breathed into her lips.

Alex complied, closing her eyes and listening as Maggie opened the rusty door and took her in by the hand.

"Can I open them?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Maggie almost squealed.

Alex slowly opened her eyes and felt her air leave her lungs as she saw the view in front of them.

"Oh my god," She whispered.

A group of giraffes walked freely on the ground below. They were peacefully feeding on the trees around them.

"Those are real giraffes!" Alex said, not believing her eyes.

There were multiple adults, but she also spotted a couple of young ones.

"Isn't it amazing?" Maggie asked, leaning on the railing next to Alex.

One giraffe raised its long neck, and a head popped up from the edge of the railing, causing Alex to jump back, "Woah!"

"It's ok," Maggie reassured her, "You can touch them."

Alex watched as Maggie gently stroked the giraffe's head as it chewed on a branch.

She took slow steps to stand next to Maggie and carefully caressed the soft fur.

"Un-freaking-believable," Alex whispered, her eyes sparkling with amazement.

Maggie chuckled. The giraffe eyed them for a second before turning around and walking away with heavy but steady steps.

Alex turned, looking at the space around them. It was like a balcony, with an old couch, a blanket, and a box with a few supplies. A trash can with burned wood stood in front of the sofa.

"What is this place?" She asked.

Maggie smiled, collapsing on the sofa with a smile, "It's my place."

"Your place?" Alex asked skeptically.

"I found it a couple of months or so ago," Maggie said, "We raided the place for supplies, and I discovered this area with that view," she said ponting out.

Alex walked towards her and sat on the sofa, looking at the giraffes walking around as the sun prepared to come down.

It was a breathtaking view.

"I never told anyone," Maggie continued, "I made a safe way through the building, avoiding infected areas."

"No one knows?" Alex asked.

"Only Winn," Maggie shrugged, "But I usually come alone whenever I need the silence or to unwind after a stressful day."

Alex nodded, understanding the need for keeping such a peaceful place to oneself.

"Where the giraffes come from?" Alex asked, relaxing her back snugly on the sofa. 

"I don't know, they must've escaped from a Zoo," Maggie responded, "There were monkeys too, but they either left or died eventually."

"It's stunning," Alex stated.

Maggie nodded, reaching for the wooden box in front of them and taking a mason jar out with a couple of white rolled up cigars inside.

"Is that-"

"Weed," Maggie said, using a match to light one up before taking it between her lips.

"Wow, Maggie Sawyer," Alex grinned, "And here I thought you were the adult one in the group."

Maggie chuckled, smoke flowing gently out of her mouth as she focused her eyes on the woman beside her for a few seconds before turning to look at the view.

"Are you gonna tell me how you have weed?" Alex asked, shifting more comfortably next to the beautiful woman that kept her mesmerized.

Maggie shrugged, flicking the blunt and giving it more fire to keep it burning, "I know people, we trade stuff," she simply said.

Alex laughed and nodded, understanding the beauty of a lawless world.

"Sometimes I think about them leaving one day," Maggie said in a somber tone, taking another drag from the blunt before offering it to Alex.

"Well, I don't know," Alex eyed the offering hesitantly before taking it to her mouth, "They seem pretty at home here."

"What about you?" Maggie turned, facing Alex, "Where is home?"

Alex blew smoke out and looked at Maggie and then glanced at her lips, "I don't know."

They looked at each other for a few seconds. The air charged between them with smoke, passion, and need. Then Maggie grabbed Alex by the back of her head and pulled her in, their lips crashing in a heated kiss.

This kiss wasn't tender or soft; it was needy and demanding. Maggie threw one leg over Alex, straddling her.

"Maggie, wait," Alex tried to stop her, one hand on Maggie's hip and the other keeping the blunt away from them.

"Please," Maggie whispered, grinding her hips on Alex, kissing her mouth and down her neck.

Alex gasped, feeling her vision blur along with her reason. She needed to stop this; she knew it.

"I need to tell you something," Alex insisted, trying to fight her own raging need for the woman.

Maggie ignored her, reaching under Alex's flannel shirt.

"Maggie," Alex said more firmly, almost fearfully, "Stop."

Maggie froze and looked at her, confused, "What? Why?" she asked desperately.

Alex breathed heavily, trying to regain some self-control, "I need to te-"

A bang in the distance interrupted her words. Maggie jumped from her lap so fast that she almost toppled to the ground.

In the distance, a bright red smoke came up through the trees into the sky.

"A flare gun?" Alex asked.

Maggie's face was suddenly pale, "It's the emergency call from Jackson."

"What?" Alex watched Maggie gather her things and start running to the door, "Maggie, wait!" she said, throwing the blunt on the gravel and stepping on it.

"Something happened, move!" Maggie shouted, running back through the same way they came in, reaching their horse in record time.

"Slow down," Alex tried to calm her down.

But Maggie never did. The horse galloped back across the Plaza and into the woods, following trails and shortcuts that made the way back to Jackson faster.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

At the front gates, Vazquez paced nervously with tearful eyes.

"What is it?" Maggie asked as she frantically jumped off the horse.

"It's Winn," Vazquez shook, tears streaming down her face.

Maggie didn't wait for more explanation as she rushed towards the infirmary. In front of the building stood James, Kara, and Sam, all with a haunting expression on their faces.

"Was he shot?" Maggie asked, "Did he fall from the horse?"

No one dared to answer.

Maggie groaned in frustration as she pushed open the door to the infirmary.

Nurse Olivia, J'onn, and her aunt Maria stood around the infirmary bed. On it laid Winn looking pale, with a bloody shoulder and a frightful expression on his face.

"Hey," Maggie smiled tenderly at her best friend, "What happened? No one is telling me shit."

Winn swallowed, licking his dry lips, "I did a stupid thing."

Maggie laughed nervously, "Tell me something new," she said as she pointed at the blood on his shirt, "Gunshot?"

Winn eyed J'onn for a second and then shook his head, "No."

Maggie rested her hands on her hips, feeling very impatient, "Ok, then what? An arrow?"

Winn lifted his good hand towards the door, "Guys, please?"

J'onn, Olivia, and Maria all looked at each other and then at Maggie before exiting the room and closing the door behind them.

"What is it, dummy?" Maggie said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"We got ambushed," Winn responded with an unsteady voice, "One of the horses got killed, and we struggle for a minute to control the situation."

Maggie nodded, "Ok, so a gunshot," Maggie said, reaching to lift Winn's shirt from his shoulder.

He grabbed her wrist, preventing it from touching him, "Ambushed by infected."

Maggie froze, suddenly feeling like a knife had been stabbed and twisted in her heart.

Winn let her wrist go, and Maggie slowly uncovered his shoulder, revealing an angry bite mark.

"No," Maggie whispered brokenly, standing up to put some distance between them, "No."

Winn swallowed hard again, "It was my fault," he said, "I went back, looking for my backpack with the supplies."

Maggie eyed the bite, destining her best friend with a death sentence. Dark veins surrounded the bite, showing the virus spreading fast in his body.

"Hey," Winn whispered, "I need you here."

Maggie shook herself out of her state of shock, and walking back towards her best friend, she cried.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

After returning the horse to the stable, Alex and Vazquez joined the rest of the group outside the infirmary. Kara, as soon as she saw her sister, ran towards Alex, embracing her in an urgent hug.

"Hey," Alex said, hugging her sister back, "What's wrong?"

Kara cried, "It's Winn."

Alex gently pushed Kara away, searching for her tearful eyes, "That’s what Vazquez said, but what happened?"

Kara wiped the tears away, "He got bitten."

The news hit Alex with force, for the loss of a good man's life and its repercussion on Maggie's.

"How is Maggie?" Alex asked, desperately wanting to be by her side.

"I don’t know,” Kara sniffed, stepping aside.

"I have to go be with her," Alex said, already making her way to the door when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"She needs this time with him," J'onn said, "It's better if we stay here and give it to them."

Alex bit her lip, forcing herself to not push open the door in front of her.

She searched her sister's eyes, seeing sadness and another emotion Alex knew too damn well; guilt.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Maggie cuddled next to Winn, resting her head on his good shoulder.

"Restrain me," He said.

Maggie shook her head, "Not yet," she said, her eyes resting on the ropes that laid on a chair, waiting to be used.

"Maggie-"

"Shut up," Maggie pleaded, "Please."

Winn coughed and, after a few seconds, hugged Maggie closer with his good arm.

"You took her to your place, didn't you," He murmured.

"How did you know?" Maggie asked, moving her head to lay on his chest, seeking comfort in each heartbeat she could hear.

"I know you too well, remember?" He smiled.

His heartbeats were there but absent at the same time. His heart beat erratically, sometimes fast, others slow...too slow.

"You do," She said absently, "You always do."

They fell in silence until Maggie spoke again.

"Are you in pain?" She asked.

"No," He replied, "My shoulder is numb...I think I'm spiking a fever. I feel cold and hot at the same time."

Maggie nodded; she knew this process too well.

"I'm scared," He whispered.

Maggie lifted her head, leaning on her side, looking at him, "Tell me."

He breathed in heavily and exhaled, "I'm scared that I will turn, and I will-" Tears streamed down his cheeks, "and I will feel everything and see everything, and I won't be able to stop it."

Maggie ran her fingers through his sweaty hair, "I won't let you turn."

He nodded hastily, "Promise me."

"I promise," She said sadly and leaned to kiss his cheek.

"I'm sorry," He cried, "I'm so sorry."

Maggie sobbed, too, "It was not your fault."

"I promised always to be your friend," He said, his body shaking from crying.

"And you always will," Maggie cried and hugged him, "Forever, in my heart and soul.”

She rocked him gently like a mother rocked her child after a nightmare.

"What are you scared of?" He murmured against her chest.

Maggie sighed, kissing the top of his head, "Ending up alone."

"Let her in," He said, "She is good for you, and you are good for her."

She stroked her own cheek on his hair, not knowing what to say.

"Maggie?" Winn asked softly.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Can you sing to me?" He gripped her shirt with his hand, "Please?"

Maggie felt his body growing cold, so she didn't hesitate, "Which song?"

"The song Aunt Maria used to sing to you when she took you in, and you wouldn’t stop crying every night."

Maggie squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him tighter.

" _Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes,_ " Maggie sang softly, " _Rest your head, close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine._ "

Winn's breathing grew lazy, and Maggie rocked him gently.

" _Little one, when you play. Don't you mind what they say,_ " Maggie continued singing gently, " _Let those eyes, sparkle, and shine, never a tear...baby of mine._ "

Maggie felt his body twitch involuntary in her arms, and she broke down in a soul-wrenching sob.

"I love you."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was late, and they all remained standing outside of the infirmary. Others from town crowded around as well, carrying candles, in silent prayers.

The air felt cold, but a cold that grew from within the bodies of everyone present. The moon stood higher than ever, as if wanting to honor the life that was being lost. The stars twinkled slowly, as in heavy sadness.

Alex rolled her flannel's sleeve and touched the scar on her forearm absently, comforted with the darkness concealing it from view.

A single gunshot silenced the soft murmurs from the prayers among the people gathered.

Not a single sound could be heard. For a moment, Alex thought she was in a dream because it felt exactly like a nightmare.

She glanced around, and everyone stood impossibly still, their eyes to the ground with silent tears.

The door to the infirmary opened slowly, and Maggie stepped outside, and without a single word, she walked away in the direction of her home.

The group of people scattered to clear a path for her to walk. No one spoke or dared to touch her.

And Alex watched, frozen in place as the woman faded into the darkness of the night like a broken soul lost in time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank You Dani for the photo in this chapter. I love your talent!

Maggie laid still on her bed. Her eyes were red, and her face was swollen from all the crying. She doesn't remember if it’s been days or weeks already; she's lost track of time. Her improvised calendar remained unmarked since that fateful day. She knew she had missed his memorial; she could hear them singing in the distance. She had declined all attempts by J’onn and her friends to visit. Each day, her aunt came by multiple times to bring her food and take inside all the flowers left on her front porch.

An old photo of them laid on her nightstand. It was ripped in half. She's done it one drunken and angry night. Anger at her best friend being so reckless and anger at the world for taking him away from her. Now she regretted ripping the photo apart, but she knew there were many other photos of them, from years of memories that she will cherish for the rest of her life. Winn was her favorite person besides her aunt, and she was all he had. His mother had died three years after arriving at Jackson from a pulmonary disease, which drove him closer to Maggie and her aunt. She knew Aunt Maria was grieving as well; she could hear the silent sobs coming from the living room.

During the nights, she could hear the melodic sound of a guitar-playing from the front porch of her home. She knew it was Alex, and she welcomed the comfort it gave her even though she was still not ready to face her.

"Here, sweetheart," soft steps came into the room, "Bertha sent you a warm soup,” she placed the steaming bowl on the nightstand.

Maggie remained in the same position, her back to the door.

"I'll be in the living room in case you need anything," Her aunt said with heaviness in her voice.

She closed her eyes, prompting a single tear to roll down her cheek. She squeezed the pendant hanging from the necklace around her neck. It was a space rocket, and it was Winn's priceless possession. She gave it to him on his 17th birthday.

It was his second birthday after he arrived in Jackson, and Maggie wanted to celebrate him the way her best friend deserved.

_"Maggie, wait up!" Winn said, struggling to keep up with Maggie's fast pace._

_"Lower your voice, dummy!" Maggie hissed back._

_"Where are we going?" He asked in a whisper._

_"You'll see, now shut up and keep up," She said, running through the bushes in the woods._

_"If we get in trouble, I'm blaming you," Winn murmured to himself, sweating profoundly and out of breath._

_Maggie was eighteen, and even though she was allowed to go out, it was strictly under experienced adult supervision. Winn, however, was only seventeen, and he was not allowed outside under any circumstances._

_"I expect a Thank You, after all that whining," Maggie said over her shoulder._

_"I don't want to clean more shit!" He returned, still sore after the last time they were sent to clean the stables for sneaking out, "I can still smell it on me," he said with disgust._

_Maggie laughed, but she knew he was right. J'onn had given them an ultimatum; the next time they were caught, they were going to be sent to clean up after the cows for an entire month._

_"We are almost there," Maggie reassured him, "Keep your eyes open for infected."_

_He swallowed, "I don't want to see any," he muttered to himself in fear._

_After a couple of minutes, they arrived at a flooded area with a large building on the other side._

_"Please tell me we don't have to go in that water," Winn pleaded._

_Maggie stood for a minute, glancing around, "There! Come on," she said before diving into the water._

_"Maggie! Wha-" Winn saw her resurface and swim to the other side._

_Once she reached the other side, Maggie pushed herself up and turned to look at Winn, "Come one! It's fun."_

_"I hate this," Winn muttered as he gently stepped into the water and bobbed nervously until he crossed his way to where Maggie stood with a grin._

_"See? Piece of cake," Maggie said, twisting her long hair to squeeze out the water._

_Winn ruffled his hair and shook himself, "Now what?"_

_Maggie pointed at a broken window, "We go through there."_

_Winn eyed the window hesitantly but nodded and followed Maggie._

_"I don't think there are any infected, but let's keep our eyes open."_

_Winn frowned, turning his flashlight and following Maggie, "How do you know?"_

_Maggie shrugged, "Peter took us here a couple of weeks ago to practice shooting and crafting."_

_"I can't wait to join you guys," He sighed with dreamy eyes._

_"Next year, buddy," Maggie comforted him, her flashlight focusing on a blue double door, "Here."_

_Once Maggie opened the door, they walked into a large lobby. The sun filtered through the glass ceiling, with large posters dangling from it. Nature had quickly taken over the place, with green growing through the walls and floor. The smell of mold and rust hung heavily in the air._

_Winn glanced around and opened his mouth in surprise as soon as he realized where he was, "You brought me to a museum!?"_

_Maggie smiled brightly and nodded enthusiastically, "Surprise!"_

_Winn whirled, contemplating the place, the roof, and the posters hanging high._

_"Dinosaurs," He almost squealed, pointing at one of the dirty posters._

_The others were hard to read because of how deteriorated they were._

_Maggie ran behind the large oval reception desk and picked up an old telephone, "Hello, this is a call for Mister Winn Schott Jr," she said in a disguised voice, imitating a man, "Your private tour is about to begin."_

_Winn laughed in delight and shook his head, “You dumbass.”_

_Maggie smiled at her best friend, "Come on," she said, gesturing to another double door._

_They explored the place up and down,_ _laughing, carefreely reembracing a world they once remembered. The building was starting to crumble in multiple areas, while it still stood firm in others. There were debris and trash all over the place. None of that could stop them from having the time of their lives._

_Out of all the exhibitions they were able to access, Winn enjoyed the dinosaur's exhibition as much as Maggie, but it was the last one that made him tear up._

_"No way," He breathed, looking around the small place._

_"Welcome to space," Maggie said, picking up an astronaut helmet from one of the stands and throwing it at him._

_Winn eyed the orange helmet, and after glancing briefly towards Maggie, he tried it on._

_"How do I look?" He asked, turning around._

_Maggie nodded and gave him two thumbs up._

_"Look here," She pointed._

_An old replica of the front cone of a rocket stood in the middle of the room._

_"That's so cool," Winn said, walking closer for inspection._

_Maggie grabbed the latch from the door of the rocket and pushed it open._

_He widened his eyes, "Can we go inside?"_

_Maggie nodded, "After you."_

_He didn't think twice before climbing up and pushing himself inside through the small entry. Maggie followed._

_Inside, Winn sat in one of the seats and Maggie on the other. A panel with buttons was displayed in front of them._

_"I can't believe I am inside a rocket," Winn exclaimed from the inside of his helmet. His exciting breathing fogging the glass.  
_

_Maggie observed him playing with the buttons, and a wave of joy came over her; she was so grateful he came to Jackson when he did. She never wanted to imagine a life without him in it.  
_

_"Happy birthday, best friend," She reached into her pocket and took a pendant of a rocket ship out._

_Winn eyed it, and Maggie could tell he was emotional._

_"Thank you," He whispered, taking the pendant in his hand with reverence, _"This is the best gift anyone has ever given me."_  
_

_"Aunt Maria said someone in town could put it in a necklace for you," Maggie shifted on her seat in order to look at him._

_Winn nodded with tearful eyes, "People will think I'm lying when I tell them you took me to space."_

_"We got proof," She knocked on his helmet._

_They both laughed wholeheartedly.  
_

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alex ate her dinner reluctantly. Whenever she heard the front door open, she would turn, expecting to see Maggie walking through. It's been two weeks since Winn's life was lost to tragedy and two weeks since she last saw Maggie.

She would go at night and sit on her porch to play the guitar, wishing for Maggie to join her, but each night she left without even a glance of the petite woman.

The town looked somber with grief for the first week, and she could only imagine the turmoil that must be going through Maggie's mind and heart.

If there was something Alex knew personally, it was the devastation of loss.

"Did you have any luck last night?" Kara asked from where she was sitting in front of Alex.

Alex shook her head, pushing the peas around the plate with her fork.

"She will come out whenever she is ready," Her sister sighed heavily.

Alex looked up and noticed the worry in her eyes, "What's wrong?"

Kara shrugged, "I don't know...ever since Winn-," she shook her head, "I've lost friends before...but this one hit me hard for some reason."

Alex nodded and buried her face in her hands in frustration.

"I get it, you know?" Kara said softly, almost in a whisper.

"You get what?" Alex mumbled against her hands.

Kara glanced at her plate, "How important it is what we carry."

Alex dropped her hands at this and studied her sister.

"I guess...I owe you an apology for being such a brat all these years," Her sister said, pushing her unfinished food to the side and reaching for Alex's hands.

"We were forced to grow up with this weight over our shoulders, Kara," Alex breathed, squeezing her sister's hand in hers, "You were allowed to be a brat, and I was allowed to be a pain in the ass."

Kara chuckled for a second and exhaled heavily, "I guess I just don't want to lose this," she gestured around them.

"James?" She asked softly.

Kara lowered her eyes and blushed, "I've never felt this way before."

Alex thought about Maggie, about their brief moment two weeks ago, and how good it felt to hold the woman in her arms. She thought about how much she wanted to do it again and more.

"Anyways," Her sister interrupted her train of thoughts, "I'm going to help Stuart to collect the eggs from the chickens today, and then I'm heading home; I'm exhausted."

Alex nodded and closed her eyes when her sister leaned in and pressed a kiss on top of her head.

That night, Alex walked towards Maggie's house, guitar in hand. Tonight, however, she was met with Maggie locking her front door.

"Hey," Alex said softly, not wanting to scare her.

Maggie turned startled, "You scared me."

Alex leaned against the wooden railing in Maggie's porch, "I'm sorry."

Maggie eyed the guitar with a tender smirk, "You've been playing for me every night."

Alex's cheeks colored, and she tapped the old guitar against her leg, "I thought you might like it."

Maggie smiled and took a hesitant step closer to Alex, the moonlight shining down on her face. Alex could see the sadness and exhaustion, mixed with the softness of her beautiful skin.

"I did," Maggie whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," She said, her eyes glancing at Maggie's lips for a second.

"I was about to go to Winn's house," Maggie sighed, the smile vanishing from her face, "J'onn needs-" she choked on her words, and Alex placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go with you."

Alex knew what she was going to say. She already knew the protocol. Whenever a community member died, the house they occupied needed to be emptied to be ready for newcomers.

They walked in silence the distance from Maggie's house to Winn's small home. It was more like a studio. Maggie stood in front of Winn's door for a minute, and Alex knew she was gathering the courage to step inside.

"How about I do it?" She asked, touching Maggie's shoulder with one hand and reaching for the doorknob with the other.

Maggie nodded, tears flooding her eyes.

Alex pushed the door and held it open for Maggie to walk in. Inside, the small space was covered with old posters, a single bed, and a table. There was a box with clothes and a stack of dusty comics next to the bed.

"He didn't have much," Maggie explained, "He spent too much time in my house or around the town."

Alex walked towards the comics and took one in her hand.

Maggie smiled, "Whenever we found one while patrolling, he would collect them."

Alex turned the comic in her hands; some pages were turned apart, "Sounds like him."

Maggie chuckled and walked to sit on the edge of the bed. She reached for the single drawer in his nightstand and picked up a broken watch, "This was his. My uncle gave it to him before he died."

The watch was broken beyond repair, and it probably stopped working ages ago. Wanting to give Maggie some privacy, she turned to look at the box of clothes, "What do you want to do with this?"

"We usually donate the clothes to others who need it," Maggie said, putting the watch in her jacket's pocket.

"What about those?" Alex asked, pointing at the stack of Comics.

Maggie nodded, fidgeting with Winn's pendant around her neck, "Yes, I want to keep those."

Alex gently emptied the boxes of clothes and gingerly placed the comics inside.

She noticed Maggie glaring at a backpack in one corner of the room. It had a bloodstain in one of the shoulder straps.

"You want to take that?" Alex asked cautiously.

Maggie shook her head, vehemently, "No."

"What about that?" Alex asked, pointing at a dusty orange astronaut helmet.

Maggie's lips trembled, and she couldn't hold the tears.

"Oh, Maggie," Alex said, putting the box down and pulling Maggie into her arms.

Maggie cried, hard, mourning the loss of her best friend and brother in life. She wrapped her arms around Alex's waist and buried her face in Alex's neck, and Alex held her tight.

"I got you," Alex murmured against her hair, rubbing the smaller woman's back up and down, tenderly.

After a few minutes, Maggie relaxed in Alex's arms; her cry turned into soft breathing.

Alex pulled her away slowly, wiping a tear off Maggie's cheek with her thumb.

Maggie smiled, "Thank you for being here."

She nodded, "Of course."

Maggie turned to place the helmet in the box along with the comics and glanced around one more time, "J'onn will deal with the rest."

Alex watched her walk towards the door, and she followed.

"I'm going to take a couple of days," Maggie said, stopping to look at Alex, "And then we are going to Seattle."

Alex felt a sharp pain in her chest at the mention of the city. Fear pushed her forward a couple of steps closer to Maggie, wanting to put a stop to whatever she was planning.

"Maggie, we don't have to-"

"It's what Winn would have wanted," Maggie smiled sadly, shifting the box in her arms, "Ever since you mentioned it, he would not shut up about it."

Alex insisted, placing one hand in Maggie's shoulder, "But we don't have to do it. It can be a dangerous trip and-"

Maggie leaned in and cut Alex's words off by kissing her lips lightly.

"I want to honor him that way," Maggie whispered.

Alex swallowed and nodded, not able to say a single word.

This was everything she wanted. This was the only reason she stayed in Jackson. She should feel happy that she was finally going to be able to move on with her journey.

But as Alex watched Maggie walk away, she couldn't understand why fear and worry were the only emotions she felt.


	8. Chapter 8

The trip to Seattle started five days after Maggie had gone to Winn's house. She thought that, by deciding to go, she was honoring her best friend and that Alex would feel excited since she was the one to mention the trip in the first place. Instead, Alex looked worried and distanced for the past few days. She avoided Maggie at all costs, even faking a stomach bug to stay locked in her home.

Maggie knew it was an excuse. She had learned to read the Danvers' sisters very well by now, and she could tell by the way Kara avoided her eyes that she was covering for her older sister whenever she asked her about Alex.

One day, she went to confront Alex on her behavior when she heard a heated discussion inside the home. She recognized the voices of Kara and Alex, and not wanting to intrude in the sister's privacy, Maggie decided to walk away.

She often wondered what the discussion was about and hoped that whatever it was, it had nothing to do with her and Alex's sudden change in demeanor towards her.

So, she focused on equipping heavily for the trip. They would cross unexplored areas, and they needed to be at their best. Using J'onn's map that he traced with Alex's help, it would take them around eight to nine days to reach Seattle with only a few stops to rest.

It would be a dangerous trip, but Maggie saw it as a spiritual journey to mourn and heal.

It was still dark, and the town was asleep when Maggie and her friends gathered around the stable to sign off their horses. They all carried heavy backpacks and jackets to endure the chilly nights. It was starting to get cold, and Maggie knew the snow would soon start to fall, so she wanted to avoid that on their trip.

"She was the one who wanted this trip to happen; where the hell is she?" Vázquez yawned, visibly tired and irritated.

"Remember this trip is about Winn," Maggie said, handing her friend a rifle, "let's keep that in mind, yes?"

Vázquez sighed and nodded, a sadness washing over her at the mention of her friend.

Footsteps came behind them, and Kara and Alex appeared. The younger sister smiled at Maggie before joining James and the group.

"Hey," Alex said shyly, her hands in her pockets.

Maggie handed her a rifle and her other weapons, "Hey."

"Listen," Alex stepped closer, "Before we go, I wanted you to know that there is a personal reason for me to make this trip, and I wanted to explain to you why."

Maggie threw her backpack over her shoulders and faced Alex, "Let's just make the trip, get the supplies, and we can talk once we get back...deal?"

Alex eyed her for a few seconds, thinking that maybe Maggie was right and that it was best not to complicate the trip more than it already was.

"We'll talk once we get back," Alex echoed, "Are we ok?"

Maggie smiled at her, noticing the worry in Alex's eyes, "We are ok, Danvers."

And they joined the group to finish getting ready to take off.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alex glimpsed over her shoulder, spotting her sister a couple of feet behind her, riding alongside James.

This time, they each had a horse. Since it was a long trip and a potentially dangerous one, they decided to ride separately in case there was an accident with one of the horses.

Returning her eyes to the front, she saw Maggie riding in front of her, immersed in a quiet conversation with Vázquez.

Sam, who rode beside her, eyed her with curiosity.

"What?" Alex asked, feeling unexpectedly defensive at the woman's scrutiny.

"I always wondered why we know so little about you and your sister," Sam said unapologetically, her eyes intently on Alex.

Alex turned her gaze to the front, shifting on her saddle, "You guys know all you need to know, for now."

"For now?" Sam pushed, raising one eyebrow.

"For now," Alex repeated.

Sam chuckled, "That's not how it works around here."

Alex clenched her jaw, not wanting to snap back at the woman next to her. Out of everyone in the group, Sam was always the most reserved one when it came to Alex and Kara, and she didn't know for sure where she stood with the woman.

"To my understanding, it had worked just fine," Alex said, Maggie's soft laughter catching her attention.

"That's because she is infatuated with you," Sam said.

Alex glared at her, "You know nothing."

Sam remained quiet for a few seconds and then shrugged, "Just make sure your loyalty is on the right side."

And before Alex could respond, Sam kicked her horse to move forward to join Maggie and Vázquez.

The first day of the trip to Seattle went by uneventfully. While still being partially inside their explored zones, they managed to bypass dangerous areas by shortcutting through the woods and avoiding the highways and open spaces at all costs.

They spotted an abandoned shack and stopped for a few hours to rest and eat and cover from a drizzle that had started to fall.

Alex didn't find a single moment alone with Maggie, and it frightened her how much she craved it. She understood, however, that this trip was no time to seek some privacy with her. Instead, she centered her full attention on being useful to the group by remaining alert and taking turns to watch out while others rested.

The truth was that this was an easy trip for Alex and her sister. They've been traveling their whole lives and were used to the hostility and the demands of these types of journeys.

"Here," Kara sat next to her on a large rock, offering a flask with water.

"Thanks," She drank generously from the rusty container.

Kara bumped her shoulder, playfully, "Déja Vu?"

Alex laughed, "I know."

Her sister stretched her legs and sighed, "I feel like we are doing the right thing."

Alex shifted to her side to look at her sister in the eyes, "You do?"

Kara shrugged, "We need to know, right?"

She nodded, "We do."

Kara fidgeted with the zipper of her jacket, "What if we find what we are looking for?"

Alex drank one more time from the flask and handed it back. She hadn't asked herself that question. The logical answer would be that they'd say goodbye to the group of friends and work with the DEO to develop a vaccine.

She glanced towards where Maggie sat against the trunk of a tree, massaging her ankle while talking with James. Just the thought of saying goodbye to her made her stomach turn into a knot.

"Didn't think about that, huh?" Kara asked softly.

Alex looked down and nodded, "We'll do what we have to do."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Maggie leaned back against a kitchen counter, while Alex hovered over their map on the dining table. They'd stop to sleep for a couple of hours at a farmhouse they encountered on their way. There were three infected inside, but neutralizing the situation was easy thanks to their experience and strength in numbers.

It had been three days so far, and they were already on unexplored territory.

Alex made annotations on the piece of the map while Maggie admired her concentration from where she stood.

She lost count of all the times she thought about how beautiful Alex Danvers was. With her short and perpetually tousled hair and badass attitude, she was simply irresistible to Maggie. Especially after knowing how her lips felt on hers and how their bodies fit perfectly.

And Maggie wanted more, so much more.

"I think we can avoid this area," Alex said, pointing at the map, "But we will have to go up to the highway for a couple of miles."

"Is it dangerous?" James asked, leaning in to see.

"I've never been there," Alex said, circling the area with a piece of chalk, "But I know someone who is from that area, if anything, we could ask for their help."

"Sounds like a plan," Maggie said, pushing herself off the counter, "We should regroup and leave as soon as possible."

Vázquez groaned from where she sat on a couch.

Maggie shot her a glare.

"What?" She shot back, "I was just...stretching out loud."

James laughed and threw his arm over her shoulder, "Sure, you little angel that never complains."

Vázquez punched him playfully and shrugged his arm off.

"I need a shower," Sam complained from the other corner of the couch.

Maggie shot her a matching glare as well.

Sam rolled her eyes, "Once we get back to Jackson, of course."

Maggie sighed and gathered her things, "Come on, children, we got to move."

Kara giggled and whispered to James, "Did she just call us children?"

The highway seemed quiet and partially empty, aside from all the debris and abandoned cars. Birds flew around the adjacent buildings, seemingly unaffected by the new world they lived in.

Maggie's never been to this region, and she glanced around in fascination at the tall buildings that once were considered modern architecture.

Before Maggie could say a word about her surroundings, a loud bang exploded near them, causing Sam's horse to get startled and throw her backward.

"Sam!" Maggie shouted, jumping from her horse, running to the woman on the floor.

Sam laid on her back, "I'm ok," she said, her hand reaching behind her head, "I just hit my head."

James managed to control the scared horse.

"Damn it, Lucy," Alex murmured loud enough for Maggie to hear.

"Who the hell is Lucy?" She asked angrily, her hand supporting Sam's back.

Before Alex could reply, a group of men and women with black balaclava masks appeared from behind some abandoned school busses; guns fixed on them.

James and Vazquez both reacted on instinct, standing between Sam and Maggie and the group of strangers.

"Stop!" Alex said out loud, waving her hands.

The woman that seemed to lead the group pulled the masked off her head, revealing her face, "Alex?!"

Alex waved from where she sat on her horse.

Maggie raised her eyebrow at Alex, "Care to explain?"

"That's Lucy Lane and her group," Alex explained, "They came across Kara and Me a couple of years ago and saved us from a deadly situation."

Maggie said nothing, urging Alex to say more.

"They are friendly," Alex added.

"They almost killed my friend," Maggie snarled.

The woman, Lucy, walked as closed to them as James and Vazquez allowed it.

"I ordered my people to lower their guns," Lucy said, hands on her hips, "I expect the same courtesy."

Maggie helped Sam to her feet, "You almost killed my friend," she shouted.

Lucy looked at Sam and shrugged, "She seems fine to me."

Alex walked around James and Vazquez, facing Lucy, "Those explosions are dangerous, Lucy."

Lucy smirked at Alex, "Those explosions have kept us safe so far."

Before Alex could respond, Lucy pulled her into a tight hug.

Maggie tilted her head at the display of affection between the two women. She eyed Kara, who was looking back at her with an apologetic smile.

"It's ok, they're just friends," Kara reassured her as if she could hear Maggie's internal questions.

"Kara! Come here!" Lucy said, pulling the younger Danvers into a tight hug as well.

Alex, a little blushed, looked at Maggie.

She rolled her eyes and turned to Sam, "Are you ok?"

Sam stroked the back of her head, "I don't see any blood."

"Is your vision blurred?" Maggie asked, concerned.

Sam shook her head, "I'm ok, I promise."

"Sorry for the fall," Lucy said, walking towards them, "We use them as a precaution."

Sam nodded, not wanting to engage verbally with the stranger.

"Where are you guys headed to?" Lucy asked, turning towards Alex.

Everyone remained silent, not trusting her with such information.

Alex, however, seemed to think differently.

"We are headed to Seattle."

Vázquez scoffed in disbelief, "Nice way to play for the team."

Maggie eyed her pleadingly, "Vázquez"

Vázquez gestured with her arms in surrender and took a step back.

"I trust Lucy," Alex said defensively, "She saved me once."

"Well," Lucy said with a hint of tease in her voice, "It's not like you've never done anything for me too."

It was Maggie's turn to scoff, "You have the map; we will carry on while you reconnect with your friend."

Alex grabbed her by the arm, "Let's take a moment and talk to her to see if she can give us a more reliable route."

Maggie swallowed and eyed Alex for a second, "Fine."

Alex nodded and reached for the map in her backpack, "Lucy, care to take us in for a minute?"

Lucy gestured to her people to lead the rest of group as she walked with Alex with a smile.

"Sure, Fine, Whatever," Maggie muttered as she watched them go.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lucy and her people lived in a campsite inside an abandoned football stadium. As impressive as the place was, it was nowhere near Jackson. It didn't feel homey or cozy, but they managed to build a small community of their own.

"Your horses will be safe here," Lucy gestured to a gated area.

Alex saw Maggie squeezing the reins in her hand.

"It's ok," Alex reassured her.

"Theo!" Lucy called for a large man, "Why don't you take these fine folks to the showers and to grab something to eat? I'm sure they would love it."

Sam quickly forgot about the bump in her head, and her eyes sparkled at the mention of shower and food.

"Come one," Lucy said to Alex, gesturing her to follow.

Alex glanced over her shoulder, watching Maggie looking back at her with concern expressed in her eyes.

"I'll join you guys in a minute," Alex said with a smile and watched Maggie go.

"What did you lose in Seattle?" Lucy asked, leading Alex into a command center in the upper level, overlooking the entire stadium.

Alex admired the view; the place was impressive indeed.

"Just exploring," Alex lied, unsure if it was a good idea to reveal their full plan.

Lucy sat on a chair and leaned back, studying Alex, "You look different."

Alex laughed, sitting on the edge of a table, "How so?"

Lucy shrugged, "More...soft."

At this, Alex laughed out loud, "Geez, thanks."

"I mean it in a good way," Lucy said, "Are you living in their town?"

Alex nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Are you staying for good?" Lucy asked as if knowing Alex too well.

Alex sighed, "Still debating that part."

This caught Lucy's attention, "Really? You never debated when I asked you to stay with me."

Alex rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well...those were different times."

"Is it that ballsy woman that got you debating?" Lucy asked, a smirk on her face.

"She is not ballsy," Alex said, feeling unexpectedly defensive of Maggie.

"No? She wanted to rip my head off when I hugged you, that's for sure."

Alex turned her eyes to the stadium below them, "It's complicated."

"Everything was always so complicated with you," Lucy said with a soft smile.

"Isn't the world itself a complication?" Alex shrugged.

Lucy bit her lip and stood up to walk closer to Alex, "What can I do for you?" she said in a low voice.

Alex chuckled, reaching for her back pocket and taking the folded map out, "You can help me with this."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "She really got you hard, huh."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Maggie leaned back, allowing the water to run down her body. This place was pretty amazing, but if anything, it made her appreciate Jackson. It also made her miss Winn even more.

“Oh my god, this felt so good!” Sam moaned from the stall next to Maggie.

Vázquez and Kara made similar observations as they got dressed, each in their own stall.

“Girls,” James called from the other side of the door, “I’m starving; hurry up.”

“I’m going to soak in a little longer; you guys go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Maggie said.

She heard the girls finish showering, get dress and walk away and then silence.

Maggie touched the pendant resting against her chest, and she allowed the tears she's been holding back to run free down her face. It felt unfair that she was doing this without Winn; he should've been here with her. His life should've never ended so soon. They were supposed to beat this world together, side by side.

But he was gone, and with him, a thousand promises died, and Maggie couldn’t help but feel lonelier than ever.

Long minutes later, as she dried off and re-dressed with her clothes, the bathroom door opened, and Alex walked in, surprised to see Maggie.

"Hey," Alex said, "Why are you here alone?"

"I wanted a minute alone," Maggie responded, her wet hair swept to the side as she tied her boots.

Alex sat next to her, kicking her boots off, "Lucy was able to give me a safer route, and if we leave as soon as we eat, we will reach Seattle sooner than we expected."

Maggie glanced over at Alex, hesitantly to say the words in her mind, "You and Lucy...." she lingered in the name, not sure what to ask exactly.

Alex shrugged, "That was a long time ago."

Maggie nodded and stood up abruptly, "It's none of my business anyway."

Before Maggie could turn to walk away, Alex stood up and pulled her by the arm, their lips crashing in a kiss.

Maggie gasped in surprise but quickly deepened the kiss, throwing her arms over Alex's shoulders. Alex pulled Maggie closer by the hips, and they moaned into the kiss as their bodies pressed.

Yes, Maggie was jealous of Lucy. But it was not necessarily because the woman had shared intimacy with Alex at some point, but because she's been allowed in places Maggie has been craving to go in for months now.

She knew so little about the woman that now kissed her with a desperation that made Maggie breathless and so weak. She wanted in all the way; she needed it.

Alex pulled back and buried her face in Maggie's neck, hugging her urgently closed to her.

Maggie felt the tears against her neck, and she rubbed Alex's back, tenderly, "Hey, it’s ok."

Alex stepped back from the embrace and chuckled as she wiped the tears with her hand, "I'm sorry, that was so stupid...who cries after a kiss like that?"

Maggie grabbed her hand and smiled at her, "I like it when you are this vulnerable."

Alex blushed and looked down at her bare feet.

"Makes me feel like it's possible to go in," Maggie said in a whisper, her hand tracing Alex's jawline and neck. The shirt under Alex's flannel, preventing her from going farther.

"You are already in," Alex's eyes had a fire in them and a profound need that made Maggie's knee weakened.

"Maggie, you better hurry up, this-"

Vázquez froze her words, sensing she'd interrupted something. She cleared her throat, a bit embarrassed, and gestured behind her, "The burritos are great here."

Maggie smiled at her, "Come on; let's go."

She squeezed Alex's hand one more time before letting it go and following her friend out the door, leaving Alex standing in the middle of the room with a storm inside her heart.

After a quick meal, they regrouped to get ready to take off. Lucy had given them more supplies and food for the remainder of the trip, and Maggie made a mental note to tell J'onn about this small community and find a way to pay back for their hospitality. Expanding their area and finding a way to connect with this town and trade in goods would be a good start.

She observed how Lucy hugged Kara and then Alex and glanced over her to wink and gestured a salute with her hand towards her.

Maggie responded to the gesture with a smile and a nod; if anything, she realized she felt nothing but respect for the woman.

"Ok, yes, I stole one extra burrito," Sam blurted out, "but it's what they deserve."

Everyone looked at each other in silence for a second before bursting out laughing.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two days later, and with barely any sleep, they reached Seattle.

Around them, abandoned cars and city busses covered the streets. The bridge where they were standing was partially collapsed, giving them easy access to the road below and into a Plaza surrounded by tall buildings.

They rode in silence, taking in their surroundings. They spotted multiple small shops, and Alex could easily imagine this place bursting with life a lifetime ago. A pride flag painted crossroad made her smile.

"Are you ok?" Kara rode alongside her.

Alex remained quiet for a few seconds before responding, "Yes."

Her sister nodded and shifted back on her saddle, a worried expression on her face.

Alex knew they were about to walk into what could possibly change the course of the rest of their lives and even humanity's.

"You said it was called DEO?" James asked from a couple of feet ahead of the group.

Alex snapped her head up and kicked the horse to trot towards him, "Yes."

James pointed at a middle-sized building with glass windows from bottom to top. DEO was embroiled on the building's front in bold silver letters.

A sudden panic froze Alex in place.

“Is that it?” Sam murmured at Vázquez.

"What now?" Maggie asked.

Alex glanced around, expecting people to come out of hiding, but none came.

"I guess we go in," Alex said, prompting her horse to move forward.

The silence around them was deafening, and something felt off about it.

"I think Alex and I should go in while the rest of you stay put, making sure we don't get any surprises," Maggie said.

Sam, Vázquez, and James looked at each other, not happy with the plan.

“Let’s keep our radios open,” Maggie ordered her team.

"Alex-" Kara started.

"Maggie is right," Alex cut her off, "Stay here with the rest and wait for me."

Kara paused for a second before reluctantly stepping back.

Alex and Maggie hopped off their horses and cautiously stepped in through the building's front doors.

"Do you know where exactly the supplies are?" Maggie asked with her rifle in hand.

The building seemed empty and longtime abandoned. There was graffiti on the walls.

"I think someone else beat us here, Alex," Maggie continued after Alex didn't respond to her.

"Let's go to the upper levels," Alex said, reaching to push open the door to the stairs.

"No!" Maggie pulled Alex back when the spores behind the door peeked from under it, "Spores."

Alex's heart sank. If there were spores, then the chances of finding someone here was almost null.

They put on their masks and climbed up the stairs.

"I truly don't think we will find anything here," Maggie murmured.

She said nothing as she carefully pushed open a door, accessing one of the floors.

"Alex," Maggie whispered and pointed at an infected stumbling around.

Alex agreed and advanced silently, ensuring not to alert the infected and any others that could be around.

Long rows of tables and desks and laboratory instruments and computers and whiteboards with notes and outdated articles were scattered around the place.

Maggie flickered her flashlight towards Alex, signaling her towards a specific spot in one of the tables.

A skeleton cadaver leaned back on one of the chairs. A journal and several files laid on the table under dust and mold and debris from the collapsing roof.

"No," Alex gasped, rushing towards the corpse and going frantically through the files and papers.

"Alex," Maggie whispered, "What are you doing?"

Alex ignored her, reading through the papers, "No!"

Maggie wandered towards where they last saw the infected, noticing that it was no longer there, "Alex, we should go."

"They can't be all dead," Alex said, not bothering to keep a low voice.

"Alex, what the hell are you doing?" Maggie hissed through her teeth, trying to stop Alex from pulling all the drawers from the desks and throwing around books and boxes like a maniac.

"They cannot be all dead," Alex shouted, breathing heavily.

At that moment, an infected flew through a window, landing on top of her.

"Alex!" Maggie shouted, taking her knife and stabbing the infected multiple times on the neck from behind.

Alex pushed the motionless body off of her, "I'm ok."

Maggie gasped as she spotted the shattered glass on Alex's mask.

"Your mask," Maggie cried, automatically reaching for hers.

"No!" Alex pushed Maggie against a wall, pressing her mask firmly in place.

"But the spores will kill you," Maggie responded in fear.

Alex shook her head, "It won't."

"Yes, it will; you have to take my mask!" Maggie pleaded, "I can hold my breath and make a run to the stairs."

Alex stepped back and pulled the mask off completely, "It can't hurt me, Maggie," she inhaled.

Maggie observed her with eyes wide opened. She'd seen people being exposed to the spores for less than a minute and die on their feet instantly.

"I am immune to the virus," Alex finally exhaled, "Kara is too."

Maggie blinked in disbelief, and Alex recognized the hurt across her eyes.

Before any of them could reply or react in any way, loud growls came towards their direction, and they both turned ready to attack.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Outside the building, everyone stood in deathly silence, assimilating the words they'd just heard over the radio.

_"I am immune to the virus. Kara is too."_

In unison, Sam and Vázquez both pointed their rifles at Kara.

"Whoa!" James exclaimed, stepping in between his two friends and the woman he grew to care for.

"Get out of the way, James!" Vázquez ordered, her gun fixed directly at Kara's head.

"Lower your damn guns, now!" He commanded, not moving from his spot.

"They lied to us," Sam said, "I'm not taking any chances."

"You don't understand," Kara took a step forward, hands forwards.

"Stay where you are!" Sam yelled, "And shut up."

"We are not here to hurt you!" Kara tried to reason with the women currently threatening her life with their rifles, “If you could just listen to me!”

"Sam, Vázquez," James tried again with a calmer voice, "Let's think this through."

"What side are you on?" Sam snapped.

"You know damn well what side I am on," James eyed her intently, "but this is not the way we do things."

At that moment, Alex and Maggie came rushing through the front doors, sweating profoundly and breathing heavily.

As soon as Alex recognized what was happening, she pointed her gun at Sam and Vazquez, "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

Maggie pressed the barrel of her gun against Alex's temple, "Lower your gun, Danvers."

"Get that thing away from her!" Kara threatened, now pointing her gun at Maggie.

"Kara," James choked in fear, taking his rifle and aiming it at the blonde woman with shaky hands.

They all waited in silence, each holding their guns at their respective targets—growls growing closer from somewhere inside the building.

"I knew there was something about you," Sam spat.

"We are not the bad guys," Alex said, slowly lowering her gun, "Just, please give us a chance to explain," she said this last part directly at Maggie.

Maggie looked at her; her gun still pressed to Alex's temple, "We will let J'onn decide your fate," she stated coldly, withdrawing her weapon.

Kara did the same, and James followed. Sam and Vázquez remained with their guns up.

Maggie walked in their direction, "Guns down."

After a second of uncertainty, both women lowered their guns.

Alex sighed and glanced at Kara, who looked worried and terrified. She touched the journal she'd found and hoped that it could give her the answers she's been searching for her whole life. Answers for her and answers she could give to this group of people that had quickly become her friends.

And she hoped with all her heart that those answers were worth the risk of losing Maggie.


	9. Chapter 9

The night was cold and foggy. The heavy rain crashed mercifully against the windows as Alex sat on the edge of the bed, reading the journal silently. Kara sat on the other edge, her back to her.

"What are we going to do?" Kara asked softly.

Alex turned a page, "We hope they understand our circumstances."

Kara sighed heavily, "We should've told them the first day they brought us here."

Alex paused, peering up at the window and the pouring rain, "That was never a choice."

"Yes, it was," Kara exclaimed, standing up and walking around the bed to face Alex.

Alex returned her eyes to the worn-out journal in her hands.

Kara sighed again and slumped next to Alex, her head resting on Alex's shoulder, "I understand how important it is for you that we at least try this... but we got to let people in, Alex."

She puffed air out and closed the journal to reach out and take her sister's hand without a word. She knew Kara was right, and she had no energy to refute her, not tonight, and probably not ever again.

After a couple of seconds of stillness, Alex spoke the words she never imagined she would voice out to her sister, "I'm tired too, Kara."

Kara gazed at her with kindness, "Oh, Alex, I know..."

She held back the tears that threatened to come out, "I just... I need to finish this. It's been my only purpose, my whole life."

Kara studied her sister for a few seconds, and before she could respond, a knock on their front door interrupted their moment.

James opened the door slowly and peeked his head inside, "They are ready for you."

Kara and Alex looked at each other for a moment, and while holding hands like they did when they were kids, they followed him outside.

At a long table inside their command center sat J'onn, Aunt Maria, and two other older men and women who Alex had learned were a part of Jackson's founders. There, at the table, also sat Sam, Vázquez, and now James.

Maggie, Alex spotted immediately, stood in the back of the room, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, and her eyes focused on the floor.

"Please, take a seat," J'onn said with a friendly smile.

Kara glanced at Alex briefly before taking one of the two chairs offered to them.

"Please, Alex," Aunt Maria insisted when Alex hesitated.

She could feel Sam's piercing eyes on her as she reluctantly sat next to Kara.

"It's come to our attention a piece of information that, quite frankly, has left us all disconcerted," J'onn started, resting his elbows on the table.

"Our friends here have said you and your sister both share some sort of... immunity to the virus, is that correct?" The older man at the far corner of the table spoke.

Kara looked at Alex momentarily before responding, "Yes."

Alex tried in vain to search for Maggie's eyes, wanting desperately to know what was going through her mind.

"Can you explain in detail about this?" J'onn asked.

It was Alex's turn to shift forward and clear her throat, "Our parents, both were scientists for the DEO."

Sam scoffed and shook her head.

"They knew beforehand about the virus and its destructive capacity to spread," Alex continued, "They worked as hard and as fast they could with their team on a vaccine."

"We were only fifteen and seventeen," Kara cut in, a desperate edge in her voice, "We didn't know; we were just kids."

J'onn turned his gaze towards Aunt Maria and the two members before looking back at them, "Please continue."

"They managed to come with a biological base for a vaccine and were able to produce two samples," Alex explained, "which they decided to inject in us."

"So, your parents held the vaccine for this disease, and they selfishly decided to give it to you two only?" Vázquez asked with contempt.

"They didn't even know if the vaccine was going to work," Kara blurted out, looking at James.

"The virus started spreading exponentially," Alex responded, one hand resting on Kara's shoulder, urging her to calm down, "And yes, it was a selfish decision to want to save their daughters, and we certainly didn't ask for it, but they did."

Kara swallowed back tears.

"They got killed the same day, and we were left alone with this burden," Alex choked with tears, "And God knows I've been trying to fix it. That is all I want to make it right."

Maggie slammed her hands on her thighs hard, angrily, pushed herself off the wall, and walked away.

Alex physically held her hands together to stop herself from going after the woman.

"We've spent the last years traveling, in search of the DEO," Kara continued softly, "Thinking that they were still around and that they could help us maybe make a vaccine or something..."

"So, you used us?" Sam asked with hurt in her eyes.

Alex stood up, "No, we-"

"We should've said it sooner, we know!" Kara cut her off, "But we've been hiding it for the past ten years, and we didn't know how to open up about it."

"We feared what people would do if they found out," Alex said, her eyes settled on the door where Maggie disappeared through.

"Please, sit," J'onn asked Alex gently, "Let's all take a breath and talk."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Maggie paced around her living room, feeling a knot in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. It’s been hours since she abruptly left the meeting, not wanting to listen to anything. She felt sad and angry, but most of all, she felt worried about whatever the council might decide for Alex and her sister.

Was she mad that Alex withheld information from her? Hell yes.

Did she want for her to leave Jackson? Fuck no.

Maggie ran her fingers through her long hair and exhaled deeply. Her hand absently touched the pendant on her chest as she bit her lip, a storm brewing in her head.

The rain outside hadn't lightened up, and angry thunders now boomed in the night sky. It was as if whatever was going on inside Maggie was being manifested throughout the weather.

Loud knocks on her door stopped her from pacing, and she swirled towards the door, not taking a single step.

The door opened, and a drenched Alex walked in with a sense of urgency in her.

Maggie shuffled backward, putting distance between them as Alex moved closer.

Alex was soaked from head to toes. Her jacket and flannel shirt dripped water to the floor, forming a pool around her feet. Her hair was plastered to her face, and her chest heaved.

"Why you left?" Alex asked.

"You know why," Maggie quickly responded, making sure Alex's insistent steps were not shortening their distance.

Without realizing, their chance led them to Maggie’s bedroom. Alex reached towards her, but Maggie shoved her hands away, "Stay back."

"I want to explain," Alex whimpered.

“Do it,” Maggie said, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

“You already know the story,” Alex said, “But Maggie, I never meant to hide it from you.”

“Then, why did you?” Maggie asked angrily, “After everything I lost, why keep it from me?”

“I wanted to tell you,” Alex fought to respect Maggie’s personal space, “I tried multiple times.”

“I opened myself to you,” Maggie pointed a finger at her, “I trusted you.”

“I never expected to care like this,” Alex sighed, “I never expected to feel this way with you.”

Maggie remained silent at that, looking at Alex.

“I thought this was just one more town we would stay in and then leave,” Alex pushed on, “But it’s not…you’re not.”

"I want to see,” Maggie said abruptly.

Alex blinked taken aback by the request, "What?"

"I want to see," It was Maggie's turn to step forward, into Alex's personal space.

Alex stood frozen in place for an instance.

Maggie held her breath as she observed Alex slowly shrugged off her jacket and let it drop to the floor. With one hand, she unbuttoned her flannel, one by one, revealing smooth pale skin.

Alex stood there, with her shirt open.

The first scar was spotted almost immediately above Alex's right breast. Maggie's eyes roamed over the woman's torso, taking in every inch of skin.

A loud thunder crashed somewhere near her home, and Maggie jumped forward, her hands moving to touch the small bite mark softly.

The muscles in Alex's abdomen tensed, and her breathing hitched with the gentle touch.

"How did you hide this from your past lovers?" Maggie asked as she spotted a second bite mark, this one smaller but rougher on her left collarbone.

"I never let them see me," Alex breathed, her eyes looking at Maggie's lips, "I never let them touch me."

At this, Maggie gently pressed her face to Alex's bare chest, kissing softly between her breasts.

Alex moaned at the contact.

Maggie looked up at her, intense urgency in her eyes, a tear streaming down her face, “I'm so angry."

Alex moved her hands and cupped her face, "I'm so sorry."

Maggie nuzzled her neck, then the undersurface of her jaw and then her earlobe and whispered, "I want you."

With her hands between their bodies, Maggie slipped them through Alex's opened shirt and pressed her palms to her lower abdomen, her fingertips barely touching the waistband of her jeans.

Alex jumped at the touch, her mouth going to Maggie's neck, "God, I want you too."

Maggie gasped at Alex pulling her closer by the waist. Her lips kissing on the scar above Alex's breast.

Slowly, Maggie scratched the center of Alex's stomach, prompting a groan from her.

In a swift move, Alex pulled Maggie's shirt over her head and shrugged off her flannel off her shoulders.

They both stood with their upper bodies naked, pressed against each other, breathing each other in.

In a gentle move, Alex leaned down and caught one of Maggie's nipples in her mouth, and Maggie moaned, closing her eyes and grabbing Alex's hair in her hand.

"You taste so good," Alex said with a throaty voice, moving to kiss Maggie's other nipple.

"Fuck," She breathed, her hips shifting forward, seeking Alex desperately.

Maggie's other hand explored Alex's bare back, feeling a third scar under her palm.

"How many are they?" Maggie whispered.

Alex lifted her head from Maggie's breast and moved to kiss her lips, putting a stop to any more inquiries.

"Your lips are so soft," Alex murmured against Maggie's mouth.

Maggie's knees weakened with the rush of arousal. She wanted to touch Alex everywhere, to explore her body, and worship each scar she encountered. She wanted Alex deep inside her, to be surrounded by her. The need was so powerful that it terrified Maggie. She had never felt this way before.

While Alex kissed her passionately, Maggie reached for the button in Alex's jeans and unzipped them, and the realization of what she was doing made her head feel hazy.

She pushed her hand inside her pants, moaning at the feeling of wetness, “Fuck, baby."

"Maggie," Alex gasped, thrusting her hips forward into Maggie's hand.

At this, Maggie took her hand out and pushed the waistband of the jeans down, urging Alex to take them off. She did the same with hers.

The woman who stood in front of her had a warrior's body in every sense of the word. It was beautiful, strong, and beaten.

"You are so beautiful," Maggie whispered.

"My body is broken," Alex said, moving closer, not giving thought to the voices that yelled to cover up, to hide her scars, "Yours is..." she caressed Maggie's sides and her back to her ass, "God, Maggie, yours is a piece of art."

Maggie moaned, "Please, Alex."

Alex knelt, kissing her way down to Maggie’s hips. Her hands caressing Maggie’s legs up and down.

“Please,” Maggie pleaded again.

Alex summoned all will power to remain in control when all she wanted was to lose herself in the woman that trembled before her. She had been craving this intimacy her entire life, and even more, she had been craving this sense of belonging.

"Sit down," Alex demanded.

Maggie dropped on the edge of her bed, her chest heaving with anticipation; she looked at Alex with clouded eyes.

Alex groaned as she gently pushed open Maggie's legs, "Tell me what you want."

Maggie caressed Alex's face, tracing her lips with her finger and dipping it in her mouth. Alex sucked gently, her eyes never leaving Maggie's.

"I want everything," Maggie whispered, "Hard and soft, fast and slow."

Alex moaned, still on her knees. When she released Maggie's finger, she reached with her hands for Maggie's breasts and squeezed them gently.

Maggie gently traced the scar that she now spotted in Alex's forearm, outlining its shape.

She noticed the turmoil in Maggie's eyes, the questions, and the worry. Moving forward, Alex slowly guided her lips to Maggie's center, wanting to shut down whatever train of thoughts was simmering in her head.

"Oh!" Maggie gasped, throwing her head back.

Alex pushed harder, stroking the length of Maggie's clitoris with her tongue.

"Alex," Maggie moaned, her fingers gripping the back of Alex's head.

Alex feasted on Maggie, kissing and biting and sucking around the small bundle of nerves.

Maggie's clit was swollen and stiff already. Alex sucked on it, making Maggie's hips to jerk forward, "Fuck yes,"

"You taste so good," She muttered, feeling her own arousal starting to get intense, pounding widly between her legs.

"I'm going to come," Maggie cried, "Please don't stop."

Alex didn't. She opened her legs further and kissed her pussy with hunger. She teased and sucked until she felt the muscles twitch with the need for release.

Before she made Maggie come, she replaced her mouth with her fingers and pushed inside, her mouth going up to kiss Maggie's breast.

"Oh, Alex," Maggie arched against Alex's hand as she thrust inside, her own hands clunging to Alex's strong shoulders.

Alex moved her fingers in and out in fast movement as she sucked and bruised Maggie's breasts and neck.

Maggie gasped and rocked her hips, jerking them off the bed as her shattering orgasm stiffened her entire body. Alex stilled her movements but stayed inside as she feathered Maggie's breasts with soft kisses now.

Breathlessly, Maggie cupped Alex's face and kissed her lovingly.

Together they moved fully into the bed. Maggie laid on her back and reached for Alex, pulling her down on top of her as she spread her legs and welcomed her.

Alex felt their hips fitting perfectly, their swollen flesh pressed against each other, and moaned. With her arms in either side of Maggie's shoulders, she thrust gently, meeting the rising of Maggie's hips. She knew she was on the edge of her orgasm, and she needed to be careful.

But when Maggie arched up and captured a nipple in her mouth, Alex's determination to prolong it shattered, and she thrust her hips hard, her clit throbbing painfully against Maggie's.

"Oh, god," Alex moaned.

Maggie threw her head back against the pillow, her hand scratching Alex's back down to her ass and squeezed, urging Alex to move forward faster and harder.

"We should slow down," Alex whimpered, wanting to regain control of the situation again.

"Forget slow," Maggie moaned, lifting her head to kiss Alex's shoulder, licking the scar there, "We have all night for slow," she whispered against Alex's ear, teasingly biting her earlobe.

And hard Alex did. Moving her hips faster, pressing down on Maggie, and making sure their clits found each other in each thrust.

Her short hair fell to her face, and Maggie brushed it back, her hips thrusting upward, "You look so sexy."

Alex squeezed her eyes closed, clenching her jaw, as she felt the wetness between them increase.

"Don't hold it, baby," Maggie noticed the painful expression in Alex's face, "Let me feel you," she said as she took one hand between their hips and pressed against Alex's hard clit.

"Fuck!" Alex moaned, closing her eyes and biting her lower lip so hard that she felt she could break through the skin.

After a few more thrusts, she groaned loudly, her face pressed to Maggie's neck as finally allowed herself to climax. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest and she collapsed on top of Maggie.

Maggie hugged her close, kissing her sweaty temple as she cradled her.

"That was amazing," Maggie chuckled, stroking Alex's back tenderly.

Alex nodded, still too breathless to mutter a word.

Maggie pushed her into her back and straddled her, "I want to taste you” and made her way slowly down Alex’s body.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Alex laid awake, looking at the roof. Maggie slept peacefully with her hand protectively closed around Alex's forearm and her head on her chest.

She stroked Maggie's hair softly, not wanting to wake her.

The heavy rain had turned into a drizzle, and Alex knew the sun would be coming up in an hour or so.

There in the dark, she smiled as she remembered how they'd spent the entire night making love, exploring each other over and over until exhaustion wiped them out.

She turned her head and kissed the top of Maggie's head, inhaling her sweet scent. A warmth spread across her chest, and she held the woman in her arms closer, suddenly terrified to let her go.

Her eyes landed on the angry old scar on her forearm. Memories of the day she got it flashed in her mind.

It was her first bite scar; she was still seventeen, not long after her parents had been killed, and the outbreak happened.

Kara was having one of her recurrent panic attacks, and they were in the middle of the woods. She knew there was an infected nearby; she spotted it as they walked into the area.

She was so young and inexperienced, and most of all, so scared.

As she tried to calm her sister down by doing their breathing exercises, the infected appeared out of nowhere from behind them and launched at her.

The bite happened fast, but the adrenaline prevented it from hurting.

It was not after Alex and Kara had managed to outrun it by hiding further into the woods that Kara's horrifying scream indicated her something had happened.

_"You're bleeding!" Kara yelled, gasping for air._

_Alex looked at her bloody forearm and the throbbing flesh around the bite._

_"Alex, are you going to die!?" Kara asked hysterically._

_She feared another infected would find them due to the yelling._

_"You have to breathe and calm down," Alex said gently._

_Kara shivered wildly, tears pouring down her cheeks, "I don't want to be left alone, please, Alex."_

_She hugged her sister, "Shhh, I am not going anywhere."_

_After a couple of minutes, Kara's loud sobs turned into hiccups, and Alex relaxed._

_"We need to control those panic attacks a bit more, ok?" Alex said, kneeling on a creek to wash her arm._

_The bite was ugly, gushing blood, and it started to hurt a lot as her adrenaline decreased._

_She opened her backpack and took out the first aid kit their parents had given her when preparing the backpacks months ago._

_"Are you ok?" Alex asked, looking at her little sister sitting on the floor, leaning against a tree._

_Kara glanced up and nodded shakily._

_"I'm going to need you to help me wrap this up, ok?" Alex said, kneeling in front of her._

_Kara blinked nervously and nodded again._

_"Hold this side while I wrap it."_

_Kara looked at the bite, and Alex sensed a new panic attack brewing in._

_"Look at me," Alex said softly, as the wrapping covered the bite, "I got you, remember?"_

_Her sister nodded._

_Alex put everything back in her backpack and leaned back against the tree next to Kara. They were running out of food and supplies, and their flashlights were running out of batteries._

_"What happens now?" Kara asked with a small voice._

_"We wait it out," Alex said, forcing a smile to calm her sister.  
_

Maggie stirred next to her, her hand moving from her forearm to her stomach, stroking it in her sleep.

Alex smiled at the gesture and gently placed her hand on top of Maggie's as she listened to the woman's soft breathing.

She wanted this. She needed it so much... to have all the nights and all the mornings with the woman in her arms. To offer her a lifetime of firsts as they build their future together—a future filled with joy and kisses and caresses and hopes.

She wanted it all and more, and she knew she could have it. After hours of debating, J'onn and the council had decided that night they would allow them to stay in Jackson.

The pure joy and relief in Kara's face broke Alex's heart. She had been dragging her sister along all this time when all her sister wanted was to find a home. And she did, in Jackson.

But she had to finish what she was meant to do first. She needed to complete what she started ten years ago—her mission to bring hope to humanity came first.

And she finally understood it was her journey to make. Not Maggie's nor Kara's.

She slowly extracted herself from Maggie's arms and quietly dressed up.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to come back to you," Alex whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

She kissed Maggie's forehead and then her lips softly before she walked away.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Maggie opened her eyes slowly, the bright sun filtering through her window blinding her. She yawned and stretched, feeling her body sore in all the right places, and she smiled sleepily.

But her smile soon disappeared when she realized she was alone in the bedroom.

She wrapped the sheets around her naked body and stood from the bed, "Alex?" she called.

The bathroom was empty, and the clothes scattered on the floor were hers only.

"Alex?" She called again, moving out of the bedroom and into the living room, but it was empty.

She absently stroked the pendant around her neck as she thought about where Alex could have gone.

When she turned to walk back into her bedroom to get dressed, the front door burst open.

Kara rushed inside, her eyes swollen and red, "She is gone!"

Maggie tilted her head and frowned, "What?"

Kara groaned in frustration, "She left," she repeated, "She took her things."

A sharp pain smashed her heart, and Maggie felt like throwing up.

At that moment, James walked through the doors, quickly turning away when he noticed Maggie was only covered with a thin white sheet.

"She took her guns and a horse," James said, facing the wall.

"Oh my god, what is she doing?!" Kara cried, pacing the room.

Maggie remained frozen in place. Alex had left her without a word.

"James, give us a minute, please," Kara said.

James nodded and walked out of the house.

"Maggie," Kara gently grabbed her by the shoulders.

Maggie blinked and focused on Kara, "Why...Where-"

"I don't know," Kara sighed, "The fact that she left without me worries me so much."

Maggie looked down at her body wrapped in the sheets, "We... uh," she didn't know what to say.

Kara nodded in understanding, "Why don't you go get dressed and meet us outside?"

Maggie nodded and slowly moved towards her bedroom, still shocked that Alex was gone.

After a cold shower and clean clothes, Maggie felt more alert. Anger threatened to spiral inside her chest.

"Did she leave anything behind?" Maggie asked as she walked into the front porch, finding James and Kara in an embrace.

Kara blushed, wiping her tears away, "I'm sorry, we-"

"I don't care about that, Kara" Maggie waved her off, "Answer my question, please."

Kara nodded, "She only left the journal she found at the DEO facility."

"Can I have it?"

"I'll go grab it," James said, jogging away.

"Where do you think she is going?" Maggie asked.

Kara shrugged and let her arms fall to her side, "I have no idea. All this time, she wanted to go to Seattle, to the DEO, but now I don't know."

James came running back, journal in hand, "Here."

Maggie took the small book, opened it, turned the pages as she read through them, and searched for any hints.

"I think we should regroup, and-"

"Some DEO members survived," Maggie said, squinting at the words scribbled in the pages.

"Really?" Kara asked, moving next to Maggie to peek in.

Maggie nodded and turned the page, "It says some DEO scientists decided to join the Luthors when their facility got compromised."

"The Luthors?" Kara asked, eyes wide opened, "Aren't they the bad guys?"

"They are," Maggie said, turning to the next page.

"So if the DEO got compromised and people joined the Luthors, then that means that-"

"Alex will go after the Luthors thinking they will help her," Maggie finished for James, closing the journal and giving it to Kara.

"So, what do we do?" Kara asked anxiously.

Maggie sighed and glanced around her. People were starting to come out of their homes as the morning settled in.

"The Luthors are very dangerous people," James said when Maggie failed to give Kara a response.

"Dangerous?" Kara asked, fidgeting nervously with her hands.

James nodded, "We've always kept our distance," He said, "No point in putting our people in danger as long as they stayed on their side."

Kara visibly deflated, horror plastered on her face.

Maggie kicked the ground with her boots, "I'm going."

Both James and Kara snapped their heads towards her, James with concern and Kara with relief.

"No," James said, "Absolutely not."

Kara glared at him before looking at Maggie, “I can go with you."

"I said I'm going alone," Maggie insisted.

"The hell you are," Sam said from behind, leaning against the railing.

Vázquez chew on a banana, "Where are we going?"

Maggie sighed, glancing around at her friends.

"He would've never let you go alone," James said softly.

A knot formed in her throat, her hand reaching automatically for the pendant around her neck.

"He is not here, but we are," James continued, "So, if you go... then we all go."

Maggie smiled at her friend with tearful eyes.

"What is our next step?" Kara asked, eagerly to go out and search for her sister.

"Even going altogether, we can't face them alone," Maggie said.

"What are you suggesting?" Sam asked.

"We're going to go pay Lucy a visit,” Maggie said, “If we are doing this, we’re going full force.”


	10. Chapter 10

Alex used her binoculars to observe the movement in the building a couple of miles below from the hill she was standing on.

Finding The Luthor’s lair was not hard. Aside from the notes she managed to get from the journal, she realized that following the graffiti they left on the walls everywhere pointed her in the right direction. It took her a couple of days with little rest to get here, and knowing this place was reasonably far from Jackson, and Maggie gave her a sense of relief.

The building was bursting with activity. Men and Women dressed in camo came in and out on horses. She spotted two or three military vehicles roaming the area as well. There were wild dogs all over the place.

Alex looked down at the rifle hanging from her shoulder, and she knew the minute they saw her armed, they would shoot. So she took the gun and leaned it against a tree, along with her backpack.

She only took her father's DEO badge that she kept with her all this time. The DEO logo was a Firefly; her fingers traced its shape with uncertainty. She thought about her sister and the decision she made for her to leave her out of this. She also thought about Maggie as she squeezed the badge in her hand; she knew she was at a point of no return, but thinking about the woman made her want to turn around and go running to her.

But she needed to keep moving forward and finish this so that she could go back to them, this time for good.

After a couple of minutes of breathing in and out and self-reassurance, Alex walked towards the main entrance, arms held high above her head. She could feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest, but she forced her legs to move ahead.

"Hey!" A man shouted from one of the towers.

Alex flinched at the rifle pointed at her from a distance but kept moving.

"Stop right where you are!" The man yelled back.

Alex did. It was starting to rain, and the ground was beginning to get muddy.

"I-" Her voice faltered for a second, "I come to talk with whoever is in charge."

The man kept his gun aimed at her.

"I have information I believe they would be interested in having," Alex tried.

She kept her arms up, trying to convey a message of no threat. She watched the man speak on his radio, and after endless minutes, the gates opened.

A woman stepped out, a handgun in her hand but not aimed at her.

She seemed young, with pale skin and long black hair in a ponytail.

"Identify yourself," The woman demanded from where she stood.

"My name is Alex Danvers," Alex said shakily.

The woman regarded her with curiosity, "Coming here was a stupid move, Alex Danvers," She said, "You're lucky you are still breathing."

Alex glanced at the man above them, knowing very well that one shot could blow her head in an instant.

"I am unarmed," Alex moved her arms up and down, "I need to speak with whoever is in charge."

"What kind of information you have that you think we might want?"

Alex carefully rolled her sleeve up, exposing her bite scar, "I am immune to the virus."

The woman eyed the scar for a few seconds and then up at Alex, "Impossible."

Alex shook her head, "It's true, and I can explain."

She gestured for Alex to move forward, this time aiming the gun at her. When Alex reached the woman, another woman came out from the gates and searched Alex thoroughly.

"She's clean," The woman said.

"My name is Lena Luthor."

Alex's eyes widened, "Are you in charge?"

Lena shook her head, putting the gun in her holster, "I believe you want to speak with my mother."

Lena led Alex through the base styled place. Caged dogs were barking violently at her. Stacks of ammunition and other military types of equipment were scattered around the area.

The building was heavily guarded, and the security in this place felt awfully like Jackson's, but Alex didn't feel safe at all. This was no way close to a place you would call home.

This place felt like a war zone or a military base. It felt hostile and devoid of humanity.

A large cage held many infected trapped inside, and Alex wondered what the purpose was.

A large man blocked their way as they walked up the stairs to get inside the building.

"Move," Lena ordered, "I'm going to see mother."

The man stood in place for a few seconds and then slowly stepped aside, allowing them access to the front door.

"What exactly is this place?" Alex observed how the building had electrical power inside, probably from the generators she could hear roaring outside.

"How did you learn about us?" Lena asked, avoiding the question.

"I found a journal at the old DEO facility in Seattle," Alex said, reaching for her pocket, "My father was DEO before the outbreak."

Lena glimpsed at the badge briefly, then looked up ahead as they reached a double door, "Wait here a second."

Alex nodded and watched Lena close the door behind her. She glanced around the hallway; a man and woman in white coats walked in and out of other rooms. Red and yellow thick cables crossed the floor from one place to another, probably delivering power from the generators.

"Come in," Lena opened the door and held it open.

Alex hesitantly stepped into a clean office. The furniture seemed so new and polished, and the air breathed so clean that Alex had a hard time thinking they shared the same deteriorating world.

A woman with perfectly combed grey hair and piercing icy blue eyes smiled at her from behind a dark wooden desk.

"Hello," The woman extended her hand, "My name is Lillian Luthor."

Alex shook the offered hand, "Alex Danvers, thank you for receiving me."

Lillian nodded politely, "Of course," she gestured to a leather chair, "Please take a seat."

Alex eyed the perfectly clean leather chair and shook her head, "No, thank you. I'm good."

Lillian smiled again, her icy blue eyes sharp, "Very well," She shifted comfortably on her chair, "I've been told you have some important information you wanted to share."

Alex shifted on her feet, "As your daughter probably informed you, I am immune to the virus."

Lillian remained silent. If she was surprised by the news, she didn't show it. 

"My father-"

The doors opened, and Lena walked back in, followed by two men in white coats.

"These are Dr. Brown and Dr. Miller," Lillian said, gesturing to them and then focusing back on Alex, "Please, continue."

Alex exhaled, "My father, Jeremiah Danvers, and my mother, Eliza Danvers, both worked for the DEO. They were scientists."

The door opened again, and a woman stepped inside with a tray carrying two cups of tea.

Alex lifted her hand when Lillian gestured to the tray, "No, thank you."

Lillian leaned back and sipped gently from her cup.

"Anyways, they were able to come up with a vaccine," Alex cleared her throat, "But they were too late, so they injected me with the only dose they had."

Alex decided to leave her sister out of it.

The room was dead silent.

"May I?" One of the men asked, gesturing to Alex's forearm.

Alex nodded and lifted her arm.

Dr. Brown adjusted his glasses and touch and poked the rough skin, "Looks like a very old bite."

"The virus is supposed to spread and kill the host in less than eighteen hours," Dr. Miller stated with a hint of skepticism in his voice. 

"That bite is ten years old," Alex said.

"I can't believe this," The doctor examining Alex's arm whispered.

"I have others," Alex confessed, "All perfectly healed."

"Multiple bites," Dr. Miller said, scribbling in a notebook, "No apparent reaction, amazing."

Alex turned to look at Lillian, who had a smile on her face, "I've been searching for the DEO ever since, wanting to offer this for an opportunity to create a vaccine."

"The DEO stopped existing a couple of years ago," Lena said from the back of the room.

Alex shifted to look at her, "They were attacked, and some joined your group."

Lena nodded and looked at her mother.

"That's why I'm here," Alex whirled around, looking at the older woman, "If there are scientists here, you guys can help me find a cure with this immunity."

"The reality is, Miss Danvers, that it is-"

"I think we should begin a round of tests," Lillian cut the doctor off, standing up, offering Alex a smile, "Please, Lena dear, show Alex her quarters."

"Sure, Mother," Lena said, opening the door.

"We will come for you when we are ready to begin the tests," Lillian said to Alex.

Alex looked at everyone in the room for a few seconds, hesitant to move, "Thank you."

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lena walked towards Alex’s room after spending the day observing her mother consult test results and an X-Ray of Alex's brain with the two doctors.

Having control of certain lands and areas provided them with resources to do the work, but what always troubled her was, _"At what cost?"_

Her mother has always been a scientist. That was her life. She's been consumed by the greed and the power that came with the job ever since Lena could remember as a child.

Not even the virus that ended the world as they knew it and took her father's life stopped her mother's indulgence. She craved dominance and control, and she had no remorse or regard for human life.

She had witnessed countless lives lost to her mother's ideas in the past years. Dominance over gas, petroleum, medical supplies, weapons, you name it. Lillian Luthor would have it her way.

With this newfound information that a person was carrying immunity, she knew her mother would do whatever it took to get her hands on it.

She heard the doctors. She knew the prognosis.

_"It's intertwined with the brain," Doctor Brown had said, "The vaccine she was injected, successfully neutralized the virus growth on her brain while training her system to combat this specific pathogen.”_

_"It's impossible to remove the specimen without killing the host," Doctor Miller had confirmed._

_"We must keep that to ourselves," Lillian had ordered, "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us, and we must not screw it up."  
_

And just like that, as if talking about a laboratory rat, Alex Danvers was condemned to die on the operating table without even knowing it.

“Here,” Lena said softly, not wanting to startle the woman, “Something to eat.”

Alex, lying on her back on the bed, sat up quickly, "Uh, thanks."

"No problem," Lena said, "May I?" she asked, gesturing to an empty chair.

"Yeah," Alex muttered through a mouthful of bread.

Lena sat, observing the woman that ate as if she's been starving for months.

"Why are you doing this?" Lena then asked abruptly.

Alex frowned, "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," Lena said, leaning back on the chair, "I could think of a thousand reasons why."

Alex shifted on the bed, looking down at her sandwich, "Doing it is all I can think of, to be honest."

Lena nodded, "Do you have family or friends, Alex?"

Alex stared at her, a protective scowl in her eyes.

Lena raised her hands, "It's just an honest question."

"Yes," Alex said.

"Do they know you are here?" Lena questioned again.

At this, Alex looked down at her half-eaten sandwich, "I'm doing this for them."

Lena nodded, her eyes soft and kind, "You should go home and cherish every minute you have with them."

Alex snapped angrily, tossing the sandwich aside, "You have no idea what it feels like to watch everyone you ever care for die!"

Lena swallowed, stunned at the woman's outburst.

"I've watched friends and people I loved die because of this virus," Alex glared at her, "knowing I have their cure inside of me!"

"Alex I-"

"Do you think I wanted to walk away from my family?" Alex asked, tears flooding her eyes, "Do you think it was easy for me to walk away from the woman I love?"

Lena's eyes softened, "I'm sure it was difficult."

Alex sighed, turning around to face the wall, closing her eyes, remembering Maggie sleeping, stripped down in body and soul, oblivious of Alex's intentions.

"I'm doing this for her," Alex whispered, "because the idea of this virus ever hurting her kills me inside, slowly, and it's the most torturous pain I've ever felt in my life."

Lena stood up, pacing, fidgeting with her hands.

"Besides," Alex turned, "I plan to go back as soon as I'm finished here."

Lena swirled around, her chest heaving, "Alex, there is something you should know."

Alex frowned, "What is it?"

The door opened before Lena could mutter another word, and Lillian walked in, followed by the two doctors and a guard.

"Lena, sweetheart, I've been looking for you," Lillian said with a smile.

Lena looked at Alex nervously and then at her mother, "I just came by to bring Alex some food."

Lillian nodded, "Thank you, why don't you go and make sure those orders we were working on are properly delivered?"

"Of course," Lena said, shoulders slumped, exiting the room.

And she heard her mother say to Alex, "We are going to run one last round of tests, please follow us," right before she disappeared through the stairs.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

One day after the final tests, Alex followed two armed guards towards the surgical room. The hallway seemed longer and darker than Alex remembered.

The other rooms were empty, and there was an ominous silence in the air.

"Here," The guard said, gesturing to a double door room.

Alex stepped in and spotted Lillian, dressed in a green surgical gown, waiting for her with a spark in her eyes.

"What you are doing will save millions of lives, Alex," Lillian muttered behind the green surgical mask.

Alex glanced around the other doctors, who were busy preparing the room for her.

"Let's just get this over with, so I can move on with my life," Alex sighed with a nod, moving further in the room.

The guards eyed each other and closed the doors.

An ample light shined over a blue gurney. A tray with surgical tools stood next to it.

"Lay down and relax," Lillian spoke, "We will begin shortly."

Alex did as instructed, squinting her eyes at the bright light.

"I'm sure your parents would be very proud of you, Alex," Lillian said, her back to Alex, as she prepared some needles.

Alex sighed shakily, her eyes darting around the room. Something about this felt off. She watched one of the doctors rearrange the tools on the tray; they were sharp.

"How exactly are you doing this?" Alex asked, feeling anxious.

No one in the room responded. She watched Lillian load a syringe from a yellowish vial.

"Are you going to shave my head?" Alex tried again, "Can you make it cute, at least?" She laughed tensely.

At that moment, one of the doctors placed a larger instrument on the tray.

Alex gasped, "Is that a bone saw?"

The Doctor looked at her over his mask, and there was something about how he looked at her that made Alex want to run as far as she could from that place.

She closed her eyes and thought of Kara and Maggie, and she wanted to hug them both so badly. She felt tears streaming down her face, thinking about having Maggie in her arms again, and the idea that it might never happen again terrified her.

"Hey," Alex tried to sit up but was held down by two hands.

"Try to relax, Miss Danvers," A doctor said, his hands firmly on Alex's shoulders.

"I want to know what are the specifics of this procedure," Alex demanded, "and what actions you will take to make sure nothing bad happens to me."

Lillian turned, her eyes squinted, and Alex knew there was a smile behind the mask. She then nodded at the guards standing at the door.

Alex watched with wide eyes as one guard pushed her down against the gurney while the other guards restrained her.

"Lillian," Alex breathed, "What are you doing?!"

"I am saving the world, Alex," Lillian said coldly, "Isn't that what you wanted?"

Alex blinked, stunned at the implications of those words.

"I will do this, and I will be glorified," Lillian continued, "But don't worry, I will mention your name once or twice."

Alex collapsed on the gurney, feeling a crushing pain in her chest. She was having trouble breathing and her vision blurred as she digested the thought that she will never see her sister and Maggie again. That she failed them and abandoned them.

"No," Alex cried, "This is not what I wanted."

Lillian laughed, "This is a cruel world, Alex, my dear."

A loud bang shook the building. The lights flickered as the power faltered in some areas of the building.

"What the hell was that?!" Lillian yelled.

One of the guards clicked his radio, "What is going on?"

After seconds of static, a male voice shouted urgently, "We are being attacked!"

Lillian snatched the radio, "Who are they?"

"We don't know, ma'am," The static voice responded, "They came out of nowhere. They have bombs and heavy weapons."

A guard opened the door, breathing heavily, "The right-wing of the building is on fire."

Lillian glared at the guards, "Go! Kill them all!"

The guards rushed out of the room.

"Let me go!" Alex yelled, jerking her legs and arms.

"What should we do?" A doctor asked nervously.

"We carry on," Lillian hissed, "Now!"

Lillian grabbed the bode saw and turned it on.

"Fuck you, you bitch!" Alex yelled, desperately trying to break the retrains.

Lillian moved closer to Alex's head. She jerked her head, moving it as far away as she could from the saw.

"Hold her!" Lillian yelled at the doctors that watched in shock.

Explosions and gun-shots could be heard in the distance.

One doctor held Alex's head in place.

"Be ready," Lillian said to the other doctors, "The job needs to be as clean and quick as possible.”

"I'm so sorry," Alex sobbed. She felt sorry for abandoning Kara, even when she promised she never would. Sorry for breaking Maggie's heart more than it already was. Sorry for denying herself a chance at pure happiness and a chance for a home.

The instant the bone-saw was inches from Alex's forehead, the door burst open, and a single shot pushed Lillian away from her.

Alex gasped, lifting her head to see Maggie, standing there, smoking gun in her hand.

"Untie her," Maggie aimed her gun at the other doctors who were trying to escape from the room.

One Doctor grabbed the bone-saw from Lillian's lifeless hands and cut open the restraints before running away.

Alex jumped from the gurney and looked down at Lillian lying with her eyes wide open and a pool of blood around her head, a bullet hole between her eyes.

"Hey," Maggie called, pulling her by the arm.

Alex turned disoriented.

"We have to go," Maggie said gently, brushing strands of hair from Alex's forehead.

Maggie had a cut on her cheekbone and blood soaking through her shirt.

"Maggie, God no," Alex jerked, desperate hands pulling at Maggie's shirt.

"It's just a knife wound," Maggie reassured her, "I'm ok, I promise."

Alex pulled the shirt aside, needing to see it with her own eyes. A small but deep cut gushed blood, but there was no bite. She cupped Maggie's face, "You're here," she cried.

Maggie cupped Alex's face as well and pulled her down for a kiss, "I'm here, and we have to move, babe."

"I'm so sorry," Alex sobbed, keeping Maggie's face pressed to hers, breathing her in, "I thought I would never see you again, God, I'm so sorry."

Maggie pushed Alex away, gently, "We have a lot of time to talk about it, but now we have to go. This building will collapse soon."

Alex nodded, still shaking, and followed Maggie out of the room.

Outside, bombs and gunshots signaled a war between friends and foes.

Bodies laid on the floor motionless, and others ran from the bullets and the smoke, terrified.

A second loud bang hit the building, causing more fire.

"Take that, bitch!" Lucy yelled from where she stood, throwing grenades.

James fought with a militiaman while Vázquez took down another. Other friends fought and pushed their way into the zone.

Alex smiled, an overwhelming feeling to run and hug these people that came to risk it all to save her.

"Alex!" Kara yelled through the smoke, "Alex!"

"Kara," Alex whispered, running towards her sister.

Amidst the fire and the gunshots, Alex and Kara met in an embrace.

"You fucking dumbass," Kara cried, hugging Alex tightly.

"I'm so sorry," Alex murmured.

"Alright, we got to move!" Maggie yelled at them, a gunshot ricocheting over their heads.

"Give me a gun," Alex said to Maggie.

"You left this behind," Sam said, throwing Alex's rifle to her.

Alex eyed Sam and smiled at the woman's smirk.

"We're good," Sam said.

"Hey, asshole!" Lucy called from her place on a convoy, "Your girlfriend is pretty badass."

Alex grinned at her friend, "She is, isn't she?"

Maggie rolled her eyes, "We are in the middle of a war here."

A makeshift grenade exploded a couple of feet from them.

"Fuckers!" Lucy yelled, "Let's finish them."

They arrived at Jackson right as the sun began to rise. They were exhausted and in pain, but they smiled warmly even at that early hour with the cheerful town waiting for them.

Alex clung to Maggie during their journey back home, not wanting to let her go ever since they left The Luthor's camp.

The rescue mission was a victory through and through. Their plan was executed to perfection, and there were no casualties from their part, only wounded and a vast loss of ammunition. But Maggie knew they would recover fast.

She knew they would have never done it without Lucy and her people. It was a team effort, and now more than ever, she felt grateful for the new friends and allies. She once again made a mental note to meet with J'onn and the council to make the alliance between Jackson, Lucy, and her people permanent.

"Maggie," Her aunt hugged her as soon as she jumped off her horse.

"I'm fine," Maggie smiled, hugging her back.

She watched over her aunt's shoulder as J'onn embraced Alex and Kara in a warm, fatherly hug.

"Beer," Sam moaned as she accepted one from a town member, "Thank you."

Maggie noticed the cuts and bloody wounds on her friends, and she couldn't feel prouder. Fierce warriors truly protected Jackson.

"Hey," Alex said from behind.

Maggie turned to meet loving eyes, "Hey, you."

Alex stared at her for a few seconds, admiring her face, "I love you."

Maggie chuckled tearfully, "You do?"

Alex nodded, with tearful eyes as well, "So much.”

Maggie threw her arms around Alex's shoulder and smiled back, "I’m glad to hear that because I love you too.”

Alex bit her lower lip before pulling Maggie into a soaring kiss, breathing and taking all of her in.

"Ouch," Maggie gasped, breaking the kiss and pressing her forehead against Alex's shoulder.

"Your wound?" Alex asked gently, gently touching Maggie’s abdomen.

Maggie winced, "Yeah."

"Go to the infirmary, baby; I'll join you in a minute," Alex whispered, kissing Maggie's forehead.

Maggie pecked Alex's lips and walked away towards where Nurse Olivia stood attending Vázquez.

"So, are we staying?" Kara asked, moving to stand next to her, a grin on her face.

Alex hummed and glanced around. People were starting to move along with their everyday duties, and kids came out to play. Birds chirped in the blue sky, and she rejoiced in the harmony of it all.

Maggie laughed out loud at something James had said, and Alex smiled brightly.

"We are," Alex whispered, throwing an arm over her sister's shoulder.

They walked together towards their loved ones.

And for the first time in forever, Alex felt excited about her life and whatever the future held for her.

No more running or hiding. She was no longer alone. She was finally at home.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lena knelt in front of her mother’s lifeless body. Her eyes were lost in the blood encircling them. The gunshots and explosions were long gone. Countless dead bodies laid on their grounds, and their building threatened to collapse. The Luthor’s legacy was done, at least for now. A mix of profound sadness and relief washed over her.

A strong hand pressed to her shoulder, “Let’s go; there is nothing left for us here.”

Lena looked up to see her brother Lex standing behind her. He had flames in his eyes, a fit of burning anger deep within his soul. She stood up, gave one last glance at her mother before following her brother into the unknown.


	11. Chapter 11

**Epilogue: 2 years later**

Alex and Maggie rode back to Jackson after spending the morning on patrol. They delivered the supplies they managed to collect and signed off for the end of their shift.

Maggie kissed Alex on the cheek, "Be right back."

Alex watched her go and then spotted her sister, walking towards her.

"God, you're huge," Alex beamed, gesturing at her sister's prominent belly.

Kara stroke her belly lightly, "He or She is a kicker, that's for sure."

"Where's James?" Alex asked.

"Getting ready for his shift," Kara said, munching on an apple.

"Have you guys finally decided on a name?" Alex stroked Kara's belly gently.

Kara sighed, "No, I mean, we have so many names," She rolled her eyes.

Alex laughed, "Well, let us know as soon as you decide."

Kara snorted, "As if that will stop you from calling them Stinker."

"Well, Auntie Alex can't wait to meet my stinker, so" Alex shrugged.

"Waiting for Maggie?" Kara asked, looking around, searching for her.

Alex nodded, "She went alone to pick her up; we don't want to overwhelm her."

Kara smiled, "I'm so proud of you both."

Alex blushed, "Yeah, me too."

"Look at us, being happy with our own little families," Kara sighed contentedly.

Alex smiled, shifting on her feet, "You know? Sometimes I think about what our parents did."

Kara studied her.

"And I think this was the real reason, to give us a chance at this," Alex said.

"That's precisely what I think," Kara kissed her sister's cheek and sighed, "Anyways, I'd wait with you, but my feet are killing me, and I want to see James before he leaves."

"See you tomorrow, sis," Alex hugged her.

"I hate that you decided to move to that farmhouse," Kara groaned childishly, "We could see each other more often if you guys lived here."

The farmhouse was not far from Jackson, only a couple of minutes away. Alex had found it two years ago while patrolling. It was fully furnished, and all it needed was cleaning and a couple of windows fixed. Ever since, they've turned it into their own little fortress, with strong fences surrounding the property and a barn, with a couple of cows, chickens, and sheep. Maggie had also started a garden where they grow vegetables and berries, and J’onn had built them a water tank, which collects rainwater for the house and the barn.

Alex laughed, "Are you sure you aren't just jealous?"

Kara thought about it for a second, "You're probably right."

She watched her sister walk away, cheerfully waving hello to everyone. It made Alex so immensely happy to see the wonderful woman and soon-to-be Mama her sister had become.

"Here we are," Maggie said with a soft voice as she strolled towards her.

A small hand gripped Maggie's, and a tiny body hiding behind her.

"How was school?" Alex knelt, "Was it so much fun?"

A tiny eye peeked from behind Maggie's leg.

"Do you want to go and play with Gertie?" Alex asked excitedly.

At the mention of their three-legged dog rescued a couple of months ago, Jamie perked up and walked from behind Maggie and into Alex's space.

"Let's go home, kiddo," Alex whispered, scooping the little girl in her arms.

They adopted Jamie a year ago. She was found malnourished and dehydrated in a room inside an abandoned house. In an attempt to protect her, her birth parents locked her in before taking their own lives after getting bitten. They left a note on their bodies, with instructions about the girl's whereabouts. The message stated her name was Jamie and that she was four.

The incident must’ve happened not too long before they found the child because there was evidence of eaten fruits in the room where the little girl awaited restlessly, confused as to why she was all alone. Even though Alex and Maggie knew from the letter that she was four, she looked way smaller for her age.

After being taken back to Jackson, Olivia managed to help Jamie feel better, and Bertha made sure to feed her well. The traumatic experience, however, left a lasting trail of behavioral issues in the little girl.

She spoke no words for the first few months and only allowed Maggie to touch her and hold her. Olivia and Bertha both had to work on Jamie through Maggie because there was no way she would let them, or anyone, including Alex, near her without going on a full panic attack. It was heartbreaking to witness. For long nights, she’d wake up screaming and crying, asking for her nameless parents, and it was only by the gentle words spoken by Maggie and the tenderness in her hold that the frightened child would be soothed back into sleep. This created a special bond between the two, and for the first few months, Maggie had to stop patrolling to take care of her, and deep down, it gave Alex some comfort.

Eventually, Jamie opened up with Alex too, and even though sometimes it took some bribing, Alex embraced each milestone with incredible joy. She really never thought about the possibility of motherhood before, especially in their reality. Still, Jamie turned both her mind and heart on a 360 degree, and before she knew it, she was utterly in love with the sweet little girl.

"What are those?" Alex asked, pointing to the trees around them, as they rode back to the house.

Jamie lifted one tiny finger, "Big trees," she said, sitting in front of Alex.

"Good job!" Alex tickled her, and Jamie giggled.

"Horse," Jamie poked their horse with her finger.

"That is a horse," Alex chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

"How does a horse sound, sweetie?" Maggie asked, riding beside them.

Jamie blew a raspberry with her small lips, and Alex and Maggie laughed wholeheartedly.

"Close your eyes," Alex gently urged the little girl before pouring a bucket of water over her head to rinse the soup.

Jamie squealed, "More!"

"Alright, close your eyes," Alex said as she scooped more water from the tub in the bucket and poured it on the little girl, who squealed again.

Maggie walked in with a pajama that was a little too big on Jamie but managed to keep her cozy, "Alright, it's time for bed, sweet girl."

After being dressed in her oversized pajamas and her hair brushed, Jamie ran to her bedroom and picked a comic book from the stack beside her bed.

Maggie smiled warmly.

"Alex, Read!" Jamie gave the comic book to Alex before jumping on her bed.

"What do we say?" Maggie asked tenderly.

"Please?" Jamie looked up at them with big chocolate eyes.

"That's my kiddo," Alex smiled.

They both huddled up with the little girl, and Alex began her nightly routine of reading Jamie, one of Winn's comic books.

Even though Jamie was extremely reserved and shy in front of people, in the privacy of their home, she would turn into a bright, happy kid with an active imagination who loved painting, playing with Gertrude, run around the farm, and read comic books.

“Can she fly like a bird?” Jamie asked, eyes wide opened, pointing at the page in the comic book.

Alex laughed, “Yes, she can; she is a superhero.”

“Can I be a superhero?” Jamie asked, looking excitedly between Alex and Maggie, “I can run fast!”

Maggie kissed her cheek and poked her little nose, “You can be whatever you want, sweet girl.”

It never took long for her to fall asleep. After rambling questions, she would lose her fight with Morpheus.

"She's doing so much better," Alex said, scrubbing the dishes from their dinner and passing them to Maggie.

"She is," Maggie smiled, drying the plates with a piece of cloth.

"I do think she needs more time before she fully commits to school," Alex continued, her eyes on the soapy water, “She always seems so anxious when we take her.”

Maggie hummed, "Actually, I think it is helping her quite a lot to spend time with kids her age and people that aren’t us.”

Alex remained quiet for a few seconds before responding, "I just think she might need more time at home with you."

Maggie put the plates she'd just dried away on the cupboard. She then turned and leaned in to kiss Alex's neck, "I love you," she said, "And I love our child and the opportunity she gave us of a family, but I am not going to stop patrolling."

Alex sank a cup in the water and sighed, "I'm trying to-"

"You want me to stop going out, babe, and it's not going to happen," Maggie said, leaning back to see Alex's profile.

Alex glanced at her scar on her forearm, a thousand thoughts firing in her brain.

"This is what I do," Maggie moved her hands under Alex's shirt, "Besides, I love going out to explore with you," she said, biting Alex's earlobe softly, waiting to put the woman’s concerns at ease.

Alex closed her eyes, desperately wanting to tell Maggie about the nightmares and the fears that keep her awake at night.

A clap of thunder grumbled in the night sky, and rain started to fall.

"I'm going to make sure the barn is closed," Alex said, drying her arms with a towel, "Go to bed. I'll join you later."

Maggie's hands fell to her sides as Alex moved and hurried to the door. She sensed something was wrong, but she would give her lover space to come to her on her own terms.

Later that night, Alex woke with a start, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. She blinked rapidly, focusing on her surroundings.

The room was dark, and rain kept pouring down outside.

Alex turned her head to her side, where Maggie slept peacefully, naked under the sheets.

Another nightmare, another sleepless night.

When she managed to soothe her breathing and heartbeats, Alex carefully got out of the bed without disturbing Maggie. She used a match to light the gas-lamp on her nightstand and located her boxers and her tank top on the floor. After hastily dressing up, she walked towards the bathroom.

Leaning against the sink, Alex turned the tap. The old pipes squeaked as the icy cold water came down the rusty faucet.

She splashed her face and neck with water, letting the coldness ease the anxiety edging on her chest.

The nightmares are all different, but with the same ending, Maggie gets bitten each time and vanishes from her arms after a horrible and painful death.

Alex glanced at the fragmented mirror in front of her; the cracks distorting her face. She's lost weight, and there were bags under her eyes.

When Alex walked back after a few minutes, she found Maggie up, leaning against the headboard with the bedsheets around her waist.

She eyed Maggie's breasts throughout the dark for a few seconds, and the swell of arousal almost made her moan out loud. Two years later, she still couldn't believe she got to make love to Maggie every day and every night for the rest of her life.

"Are you going to join me?" Maggie's soft voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Alex moved, placing the gas-lamp back on the nightstand and crawling to sit next to Maggie.

"Did I wake you?" Alex whispered, unable to stop her hand from caressing Maggie's breasts.

Maggie inhaled deeply and shook her head, "Not you, but the emptiness in the bed."

Alex nodded, leaning to kiss Maggie's lips, "I needed to use the bathroom."

Maggie placed her hand on top of Alex's, stopping her massage, "What is it?"

Alex frowned, tilting her head to study the love of her life. The soft glow from the gas-lamp provided enough light to see each other.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

Maggie smiled gently, caressing Alex's cheek, "I know you, baby."

Alex glanced down to the pendant resting against Maggie's bare chest.

"I’ve noticed something is going on in that gorgeous head of yours, but I’ve wanted to give you space,” Maggie traced the shape of Alex's lips with her thumb, “But I worry...you know you can talk to me,”

Alex sighed, looking away, "I don't know what to say.”

"Does it has to do with me not wanting to stay home?" Maggie tried.

Alex nodded slowly, "In part, yeah."

"I gave you my reason," Maggie said, "I would like to hear yours."

At this, Alex looked back at her with hopeful eyes.

"That doesn't mean that I will agree," Maggie kissed her lips softly, reading her lover so well, "but I still want to know your reasons."

Alex swallowed and shifted closer to Maggie, "For the first year after the rescue, I felt so alive, and everything felt so right," she explained softly, "I never felt so happy and loved and at peace with the world."

Maggie listened to her; her hand stroking Alex's forearm.

“Then we found Jamie and I thought about how lucky one could be, not to find love once, but twice,” Alex smiled with just the mention of their child, "But then, I don't know," Alex shrugged, her smile disappearing, "Nothing really changed."

"How so?" Maggie asked.

"People keep dying," Alex responded, looking away from Maggie for a few seconds, "The world keeps turning more dangerous, and this sense of happiness sometimes feels like an illusion, a pretend.”

Maggie bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about her lover’s words.

Alex remained silent briefly before saying, "I can't help but wonder that there is this thing inside of me, which could save so many people."

Maggie noticed the tears threatening to fall from the corners of Alex's eyes, "Oh, baby, that is not your fight anymore. You can only share your wisdom and hopes with the world, but that’s it; no one gets to have anything else from you, ever again."

"But what about humanity and-"

"You can't save humanity, Alex... no one can," Maggie cut her off gently, "We can only save ourselves."

Alex nodded and swallowed, blinking away the tears, "I've had dreams lately."

Maggie tilted her head, "Dreams?"

"Nightmares," Alex corrected.

"About?" Maggie asked.

Alex fidgeted with Maggie's hand, “About you, getting bitten and dying in my arms."

Maggie sighed and nodded, "Is that what has been keeping you awake?" she ran her fingers through Alex's short hair.

Alex nodded, her lips quivering, "I can't do anything to help you, and I watch you die over and over, and ove-" Alex broke in a sob.

Maggie held her in her arms, gently soothing her, "It's ok, baby."

Alex looked up with desperate eyes, "I can't lose you."

"And you won't," Maggie reassured her, cupping her face, “You have to trust in my abilities to win this battle along with you.”

Alex nodded reluctantly and wiped away her tears with her hands.

"Hey," Maggie said, pushing herself to lay on her back and pulling Alex closer, "Next time one of this nightmares wake you up, I don't want you to move away anymore," she said, kissing Alex's fingertips, "Next time, you come to me, you wake me up, and you touch me," she moved Alex's hand over her breasts and stomach, "And you feel me alive, that I'm here and that I'm yours," she pushed Alex's hand between her legs with a gasp.

Alex moaned, kissing Maggie's mouth deeply, while her hand grasped her and caressed her.

"I love you," Alex whispered against Maggie's lips.

"I love you too," Maggie moaned, her hips rocking against Alex's hand, “God, I love you too.”

Alex moved two fingers inside of Maggie and buried her face between her breasts, breathing her in.

“Yes,” Maggie moaned, pressing her head against the pillow and running her fingers through Alex’s hair, “You never have to worry about losing me.”

Alex pulled her hand away abruptly, ignoring Maggie's breathlessly protests and moved out of the bed.

With swollen lips and flushed cheeks, Maggie stood up, "Alex, please, don’t go.”

But before Maggie could fully get out of the bed and go after her, she noticed that Alex was not leaving the room, but that she was searching for something in her backpack.

"What is it?" Maggie asked.

Alex returned to the bed with a small wooden carved box in her hand.

"Kara is going to kill me," Alex chuckled, "I was going to wait after the baby was born so we could have a proper ceremony in Jackson, but," She looked at Maggie, "I really can't wait any longer."

Maggie watched as Alex opened the box; two simple gold bands were inside.

"Alex," Maggie breathed.

"I know that we live in a lawless world and that we already live together with a child and there wouldn’t really be a difference," Alex took the smaller ring out, "But I really want us to wear rings and maybe call each other wives from now on.”

Maggie chuckled tearfully, "Do you want to be my wife?"

Alex, too, had tears in her eyes, "With everything that I am."

Maggie cried as Alex put the ring on her, and then she did the same for Alex.

And they kissed, hard and needy, giving themselves to this promise of a lifetime of love, loyalty, and happiness.

"Whoever or whatever comes after us," Alex whispered, "It's you and me against the world."

"Ride or Die, Baby," Maggie promised.

Maggie beamed at the ring in her finger, "Ken helped you make them?"

Alex nodded, thinking about the goldsmith and how he happily agreed to help her make this dream come true.

"I've known Ken for years now," Maggie said with a smirk, "I know this must've cost you something."

Alex laughed and pushed Maggie on her back, melting on top of her, pepper kissing her face, "Remember those two cows that went mysteriously missing from our barn a couple of weeks ago?"

"Alex, you did not!" Maggie laughed in total bliss.


End file.
